Sick, Stay Home

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2021

DOUGLAS COUNTY COVID-19 UPDATE #619

(Douglas County, Ore.) 

QUICK LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, AS OF NOON ON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2021

*Our COVID quick look includes the total number of new cases in Douglas County, which combines people with positive test results and presumptives.

On Tuesday, August 24, 2021, at 12:00 pm we had TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY-EIGHT (248) people with new positive test results, THREE (3) new presumptives and THREE (3) new deaths to report bringing our total number of cases of people with positive test results and presumptives in Douglas County to 7,687*.  We had EIGHTY-ONE (81) Douglas County COVID-19 patients hospitalized, sixty-eight locally and thirteen out-of-the-area, including two patients that have been transferred out of the state for specialized care not available here.  We continue to work with Mercy to provide information on our COVID patients being hospitalized locally: 15 ventilators (invasive mechanical airway support) are currently in use, and 14 COVID positive patients are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). 

As of 12:00 pm today, Wednesday, August 25, 2021, there are ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-ONE (191) people with new positive test results, ONE (1) presumptive that has been moved to a positive with a positive test result, ONE (1) new presumptive and FOUR (4) new deaths to report, bringing the total number of cases of people with positive test results and presumptives in Douglas County to 7,879*. Currently, there are EIGHTY-ONE (81) Douglas County COVID-19 patients that are being hospitalized, sixty-seven locally and fourteen out-of-the-area, including two that have been transferred out of the state for specialized care not available here. We continue to work with Mercy to provide information on our COVID patients being hospitalized locally: 15 ventilators (invasive mechanical airway support) are currently in use, and 14 COVID positive patients are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).  Of our hospitalized cases today, SEVENTY (70) out of the 81 were not vaccinated. 

COVID-19 RELATED DEATHS OF DOUGLAS COUNTY RESIDENTS

Our Douglas County Public Health Officer, Dr. Robert Dannenhoffer, has confirmed the deaths of seven more Douglas County residents related to the COVID-19 virus. Our one hundred and seventeenth COVID-19 related death was a 91-year-old woman who was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Saturday, July 30, 2021 and passed away on Saturday, August 21, 2021.  She was fully vaccinated.  Our one hundred and eighteenth COVID-19 related death was a 59-year-old woman who was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Monday, August 23, 2021 and passed away on Monday, August 23, 2021. She was not vaccinated. Our one hundred and nineteenth COVID-19 related death was a 58-year-old woman who was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Monday, August 16, 2021 and passed away on Sunday, August 22, 2021. She was not vaccinated.  Our one hundred and twentieth COVID-19 related death was a 72-year-old woman who was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Thursday, August 19, 2021 and passed away on Tuesday, August 24, 2021. She was not vaccinated.  Our one hundred and twenty-first COVID-19 related death was a 74-year-old woman who was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Friday, August 13, 2021 and passed away on Tuesday, August 24, 2021. She was not vaccinated. Our one hundred and twenty-second COVID-19 related death was a 66-year-old woman who was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Monday, August 16, 2021 and passed away on Tuesday, August 24, 2021. She was fully vaccinated.  Our one hundred and twenty-third COVID-19 related death was a 95-year-old woman who was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Monday, August 23, 2021 and passed away on Wednesday, August 25, 2021. She was fully vaccinated. In the interest of privacy for the loved ones of these residents, no additional information will be released. Each death related to COVID-19 is painful for all Douglas County residents, and a sad reminder of the terrible impact COVID-19 has had in our local communities. The Douglas County Board of Commissioners, Dr. Dannenhoffer, DPHN and the DCCRT team extend our heartfelt condolences and sympathies to all family members, friends, relatives, co-workers and community members of those who have passed after contracting this deadly virus.

**Our COVID case update includes the total number of cases in Douglas County, which combines people with positive test results and presumptives, as well as a breakout of those case numbers. There will be times when a presumptive will move to a positive test result, and our total case number will not change because the case has already been counted. 

PREVENTION TOOLKIT TOPIC #4: 

SICK? STAY HOME

Pre-pandemic, rarely would a bout of the sniffles be something to worry about.  But, right now with the enormous onslaught of new COVID cases, and the increasingly contagiousness nature of the Delta variant, we need to be EXTRA careful about spreading germs of any kind.  As we prepare to enter the peak season for flu bugs, viruses and colds, we need to remember, it’s not just you that could become ill, you could unknowingly infect someone at work, someone at the gym, someone at school or someone in your family with COVID.  The COVID virus is no longer just lurking in the bushes, it’s firmly taking root and spreading like blackberry vines in Douglas County.  Which brings us to Toolkit Topic #4: If You Are Sick, Stay Home!

If you’re sick, even if it’s “JUST A SNIFFLE,” please help us stop the spread and stay home instead.  Staying home is the most prudent choice given the contagiousness of the variant impacting our community.   Medical professionals estimate that the Delta variant is 1,000 times more potent than the original virus, meaning that there are a thousand more germs spread per sneeze, handshake and cough than ever before, which is bolstering the surge in new cases.  You might think that the standalone symptoms of COVID-19 such as a cough, a headache, a sore throat or a runny nose might seem minor enough to go to work or send your kids to school, but with the Delta variant causing high transmission numbers and increasing hospitalizations, these symptoms should give you pause. So, if you have any of these symptoms, and you are debating whether to punch that time clock, attend your exercise class, go to a birthday dinner, be a guest at a slumber party or head to the classroom, please err on the side of caution, an abundance of caution, and choose to stay home.   

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that you stay home from work, school, shopping and events if you have symptoms of acute respiratory illness, a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher or signs of a fever. The return to work recommendation for individuals with illnesses that are not related to the COVID virus is that you should be fever-free for 24 hours without the use of medications or symptom-free for 4 to 5 days before returning to work, school or resuming other activities.  However, depending on where you work, you need check with your Human Resources Department on current sick leave policies, and how long you need to stay home after being ill.  Also, check into COVID or Family Medical Leave Act coverage and/or remote working options.  Utilizing your sick time could be the healthiest thing for you and your family, and our community right now.   Also, if you become sick upon arrival or while you are at work, at school or when you are out and about, you should promptly separate yourself from other people, and go home as soon as possible.  Again, if unrelated to COVID, please stay home until you are fever-free for 24 hours or completely symptom free for 4 to 5 days.  At this time, it’s so very important to reduce the spread of germs, and keep sick individuals away from those who are not sick. 

You should know and look for the primary symptoms of COVID-19: cough, fever or chills, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches and pains, headache, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, sore throat, nasal congestion or runny nose, and new loss in your sense of smell or taste. cough, fever or chills, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches and pains, headache, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, sore throat, nasal congestion or runny nose, and new loss in your sense of smell or taste.  This list does not include all possible symptoms. The CDC will continue to update their list as they learn more about COVID-19. Older adults and people who have severe underlying medical conditions like heart disease, lung disease or diabetes seem to be at higher risk for developing more serious complications from the COVID-19 virus. Typically, symptoms appear within 2 to 14 days after exposure to the virus.  The COVID-19 virus affects different people in different ways.  People infected with coronavirus can experience a wide range of symptoms, ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness requiring hospitalization.   

If you are sick, it is important to monitor your symptoms carefully, seek medical care when needed, and look for the emergency warning signs for severe COVID-19 or other illnesses. You can utilize the CDC’s “Self-Checker” to evaluate your symptoms.  If you have questions or concerns, call our local COVID hotline at (541) 464-6550 or your primary health care provider.  If your symptoms are getting worse, but not critical, then head to urgent care or schedule an appointment with your primary health care provider.  Please only go to the hospital if your symptoms are urgent, as our local hospitals are already overwhelmed and need the space to care for the most critically ill. But, if you are severely sick, do not wait to seek medical care.   If you or someone you are caring for is showing any of the following signs, seek emergency medical care immediately: trouble breathing, high fever (103 F or higher); persistent sharp pain or pressure in the chest; onset of or increased confusion; severe and unrelenting headache that lasts longer than 24 hours; inability to wake or stay awake; low pulse oximeter levels; pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds and inability to sit up or stand up on your own. Stay tuned for our upcoming articles on what to do if you contract COVID or you have been asked to stay home with COVID-like symptoms. 

DOUGLAS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ANSWER CALL TO TEMPORARILY ADD MORGUE SPACE 

The Douglas County Board of Commissioners received a request from the Douglas County Medical Examiner and our local medical community for a need to temporarily increase our morgue space in Douglas County. The request was made due to the recent surge in COVID cases and subsequent hospitalizations that have sadly brought about a huge increase in local COVID-related deaths in the last month. The increase in COVID deaths has doubled our need for morgue space, as we still need to accommodate all of the non-COVID related deaths that occur in our county. The Commissioners collaborated with our Douglas County Public Works Department to quickly acquire additional temporary units to increase our local capacity.  Our local mortuary system includes morgue space at all three hospitals (Lower Umpqua, CHI Mercy Health and Roseburg VA Medical Center), funeral homes and the Douglas County Sheriff’s, Medical Examiner’s Office.  In the interest of privacy for the loved ones of residents, no additional information will be released. 

REMINDER REGARDING NUMBERS FOR ISOLATION AND QUARANTINE: 

Due to the current extraordinary surge in local cases, state reporting system delays, necessary changes to our investigative protocols, and our local health teams doing their best to keep up with case workloads, we temporarily suspended our local reporting of those residents that are in isolation and quarantine on Monday, August 16, 2021.  We do not feel the numbers accurately represent the extent of those residents who are being asked to isolate and quarantine. We are hopeful that when this current crisis improves, we will be able to resume reporting.  Thank you for your patience and understanding.  The staff at DPHN along with community partners continue to support an extraordinary number of contacts and cases in isolation and quarantine.  Their unwavering dedication represents a significant amount of effort being done locally to help control the spread of COVID. 

DOUGLAS COUNTY TIGER TEAM 

The Douglas County Tiger Team continues to bring free COVID-19 vaccines directly to all areas of Douglas County in our mobile medical vans (MMV) via their pop-up vaccine clinics.  The Douglas County Board of Commissioners, who have led the charge for our Douglas County COVID-19 Response Team efforts since the beginning, have coordinated with DPHN to organize our local Tiger Team to manage our vaccine outreach efforts through ‘pop-up’ vaccine clinics. 

The clinics are currently open to anyone 18 years of age and older, and preregistration is not necessary. 

The Douglas County Tiger Team will be hosting FREE POP UP COVID VACCINE CLINICS at the locations listed below.  The clinics are currently open to anyone 18 years of age and older, and preregistration is not necessary:

• Thursday, August 26, 2021: Yoncalla and surrounding area.  Clinic will be at Yoncalla High School located at 292 5th Street in Yoncalla from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

For a complete list of upcoming Tiger Team clinics, log onto DPHN at https://douglaspublichealthnetwork.org/ and select the link for the Tiger Team schedules.  Our Tiger Team coordinates with Umpqua Valley Ambulance to bring a certified vaccinator and a medical assistant to each clinic.  If you are interested in having the Douglas County Tiger Team come to your area or event to provide a free pop-up vaccine clinic or if you have any questions about our Douglas County Tiger Teams, please call (541) 670-3110 or our local COVID-19 Hotline at (541) 464-6550. 

COW CREEK BAND OF UMPQUA TRIBE OF INDIANS OPENED HEALTH AND WELLNESS CLINICS TO ALL COMMUNITY MEMBERS FOR COVID VACCINATIONS AND TESTING

Shared from Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians.  The Cow Creek Health and Wellness Clinics opened up their COVID vaccination and testing clinics to all community members, not just Cow Creek or Tribal individuals. Any community member can get vaccinated for FREE at their drive-through vaccine site located at 2360 NE Stephens Street in Roseburg, on the following schedule throughout the month of August: 

• Moderna Vaccine Offered: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm 
• Johnson and Johnson Vaccine Offered: Thursdays from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm

Also, any community member, tribal or non-tribal, can get tested at either of the Cow Creek Health and Wellness Clinic (north and south) locations (see below for locations). The cost is $35, and they will bill insurance if you are insured. Community members do not have to be a clinic patient to get tested. Call (541) 672-8533 for more information and to schedule testing. Testing is available at both Cow Creek Health & Wellness locations: 2371 NE Stephens, Suite 200 in Roseburg and 480 Wartahoo Lane in Canyonville. 

AVIVA HAS A DEDICATED FREE COVID-19 VACCINATION CLINIC SITE IN ROSEBURG 

Shared from Aviva Health.  Aviva Health has a dedicated COVID-19 vaccination clinic site at 4221 NE Stephens Street, Suite 101 in Roseburg, just across the street from its main Roseburg Clinic location near Costco and offers free COVID-19 vaccines by appointment.   The COVID-19 vaccination clinic is e open Monday through Friday, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm and is open for residents ages 12 and older**.  To schedule an appointment please call (541) 672-9596. 

COVID-19 VACCINE ELIGIBILITY OPEN FOR EVERYONE 12 YEARS OLD AND OLDER***

According to the CDC, State of Oregon and OHA, ALL residents ages 12 years old and older** are eligible to get the COVID-19 Vaccine. According to Dr. Bob Dannenhoffer, our Douglas County Public Health Officer, “We have plenty of vaccines available, they are safe, they are effective and they are available to anyone 12 and above who wants one.” 

1. 🔍 Log onto: http://DougCoVaccine.com.
2. 📞 Call our Douglas County COVID-19 Hotline at (541) 464-6550.
3. 📞 Call and set up an appointment with your primary health care provider, ask for a referral to another health care provider or call and set up an appointment with a local pharmacy.
4. Coastal Residents can call the Lower Umpqua Hospital District’s COVID-19 Vaccine Call Center at (541) 271-2175.
5. Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Tribe of Indians, can set up an appointment by calling (541) 672-9405 or log onto https://www.cowcreek-nsn.gov/public-health/.  This service is not open to everyone.
6. The Roseburg VA Health Care System is setting up appointments for veterans to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.  For more information, call the Roseburg VAMC at (541) 440-1000 or log onto https://www.va.gov/health-care/covid-19-vaccine/.
7. Seniors can call Douglas County Senior Services at (541) 440-3677 to get help finding a vaccine provider.
8. Attend one of our vaccination clinics offered in Douglas County with our Tiger Team or through Aviva Health.

COVID-19 FACEBOOK LIVE WITH DR. BOB 

As a part of our COVID-19 Recovery Phase, DPHN will continue to host our COVID-19 Facebook Live events once a week, on Tuesday evenings at 6:00 pm. The next Facebook Live event featuring Dr. Bob Dannenhoffer, our Douglas County Public Health Officer will be Tuesday, August 31, at 6:00 pm.  You can submit your questions during our live show or in advance at: Facebookquestions@douglaspublichealthnetwork.org. Dr. Bob and the DPHN team will do their best to respond to as many questions as they can during the Facebook event.  The Facebook Events are hosted by DPHN on the DPHN Facebook page.

STATE AND FEDERAL COVID-19 INFORMATION

It is important to understand that Federal and State Government and their agencies are the ones that set policy, issue mandates and provide the guidelines for a state of emergency like the current COVID pandemic. Locally, we are following the recommended guidance issued by the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Oregon Health Authority (OHA).  If you have questions about the current guidelines or the recommendations, please contact the CDC or OHA directly for more information. OHA posts their daily updates at www.healthoregon.org/coronavirus. Please do not call 911, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office or Douglas County Offices to report issues with the State of Oregon, OHA or the Governor’s orders.  

ACCESS TO LOCAL COVID-19 RESOURCES

Local Online Access to Updates

Stay up to date with accurate and local COVID-19 information in Douglas County by visiting the Douglas County Government website or DCGOV Facebook page or the DPHN website or DPHN Facebook page.  

Free Local e-Newsletter Subscription

You can also sign up for the Douglas County e-Newsletter that publishes and sends out the update to our subscription base free. You can sign up for the Douglas County e-Newsletter at www.co.douglas.or.us. 

Douglas County COVID-19 Hotline (541) 464-6550

Your Douglas County Board of Commissioners and DPHN continue to offer a local resource hotline for Douglas County residents for COVID-19. The hotline provides answer to frequently asked questions, basic information and referrals to resources and services. Our local hotline number is (541) 464-6550 and is staffed from 8 am to 5 pm, 7 days a week.

Aviva Health Offers Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions Webpage

Aviva Health has created an online FAQ page to answer questions related to COVID-19 regarding availability and scheduling. Log onto https://aviva.health/covid-19-vaccine-faqs/

COVID Vaccine Call Center at Lower Umpqua Hospital District in Reedsport

Lower Umpqua Hospital District has a COVID-19 Vaccine Call Center for COVID-19 vaccine information in the Reedsport, Douglas County Coastal area. Call (541) 271-2175, Monday through Friday from 9 am to 4 pm.

***Please note that for residents that are ages 12 to 14, this will require a parent or guardian to accompany them and give written consent for the vaccine. Written consent can also be obtained in advance. Under Oregon law, minors 15 years of age and older may consent to medical treatment, including vaccinations, when provided by a physician, physician assistant, naturopath, nurse practitioner, dentist or optometrist, or other professionals operating under the license of these providers; however, families are encouraged to make decisions about vaccinations together.

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Contact Tamara Howell, Douglas County Public Information Officer & Emergency Communications & Community Engagement Specialist | Phone: (541) 670-2804 | Cell: (541) 957-4896 | Email: tjhowell@co.douglas.or.us 

Contact Vanessa Becker, Public Information Officer, Douglas Public Health Network – Phone: (541) 817-6552 – Cell - (541) 440-3571 – Email: vanessa@douglaspublichealthnetwork.org