Oregon reported 10,197 new cases of coronavirus in the week ending Sunday, down 6.4% from the previous week. The previous week had 10,894 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.
New subvariants of the COVID-19 omicron variant — known as BA.4 and BA.5 — have emerged as the predominant strains in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Oregon Health Authority says BA.4 and BA.5 are likely causing the majority of cases in Oregon as well.
Oregon ranked 16th among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows.
In the latest week, coronavirus cases in the United States decreased 4.6% from the week before, with 750,600 cases reported. With 1.27% of the country’s population, Oregon had 1.36% of the country’s cases in the last week. Across the country, 24 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.
What to know about COVID-19 variants:BA.4, BA.5 variants cause increasing cases, hospitalizations
The Fourth of July holiday disrupted who got tested, when people got tested and when both test results and deaths were reported. This may significantly skew week-to-week comparisons.
Public health officials have noted for months raw case data is not considered the best metric to track COVID-19 infection trends due to the prevalence of at-home tests and how rarely those results are reported to the state. True case counts could be between four and 10 times higher than reported, they said.
Better metrics include hospitalization trends and test positivity rate. During the two-week period of June 12 to June 25, test positivity in Oregon was 13.6%, up from 12.3% in the previous two-week period. Data from last week shows test positivity rates approaching 16%, an increase associated with the BA.4 and BA.5 variants.
By comparison, during the omicron wave this winter, test positivity rates peaked at 25%.
Deaths have averaged less than five per day since the beginning of June, but OHSU forecasting also expected that to increase as BA.4 and BA.5 continue to spread.
However, while OHA said the two new subvariants do appear to be about 10% more transmissible than previous omicron subvariants, there is no indication thus far they are causing more severe illness or more deaths. This could be due to the strains themselves or the current high level of immunity from COVID-19 from vaccination, previous infection or both.
The symptoms also largely mirror those of previous variants, which include cough, fatigue, headache and muscle pain.
Marion County reported 885 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 893 cases and five deaths. Throughout the pandemic, it has reported 76,852 cases and 743 deaths.
Polk County reported 208 cases and two deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 239 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic, it has reported 17,516 cases and 139 deaths.
Across Oregon, cases fell in 24 counties, with the largest declines in Lane County, with 609 cases from 816 a week earlier; in Deschutes County, with 732 cases from 857; and in Yamhill County, with 162 cases from 258.
>> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases
Within Oregon, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Crook County with 479 cases per 100,000 per week; Curry County with 475; and Sherman County with 393. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.
Adding the most new cases overall were Multnomah County, with 2,200 cases; Washington County, with 1,443 cases; and Clackamas County, with 914. Weekly case counts rose in eight counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week’s pace were in Washington, Multnomah and Curry counties.
In Oregon, 33 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 35 people were reported dead.
A total of 823,247 people in Oregon have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 7,851 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States, 88,593,875 people have tested positive and 1,020,861 people have died.
>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States
Oregon’s COVID-19 hospital admissions falling
USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, July 10. Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:
- Last week: 919
- The week before that: 984
- Four weeks ago: 811
Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:
- Last week: 69,400
- The week before that: 63,341
- Four weeks ago: 57,327
Hospitals in 39 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 35 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 42 states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.
COVID-19 forecasting released by Oregon Health and Science University predicted hospitalizations would peak at about 480 hospitalizations July 12.
Statesman Journal reporter Connor Radnovich contributed to this article.
The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control. If you have questions about the data or the story, contact Mike Stucka at mstucka@gannett.com.
