Douglas County COVID-19 Update - August 27, 2021 (Photo) -08/27/21

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – FRIDAY, AUGUST 27, 2021

 

DOUGLAS COUNTY COVID-19 UPDATE #620

(Douglas County, Ore.) QUICK LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, AS OF NOON ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 27, 2021

Total Number of New Local COVID-19 Cases	Total Number of Residents Currently Hospitalized	Total Number of Hospitalized Patients that are Not Vaccinated
195*	89	81 of the 89

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

 

BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE ICU by Tamara Howell

Yesterday, I was given the incredible privilege of a behind the scenes tour of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at CHI Mercy Health.  To say the experience was sobering, would be the understatement of the year.  As I entered the hospital, I was greeted and screened by National Guard soldiers.  I thanked them for their service, securely placed a new mask on my face, sanitized my hands and headed down the long hallway with my guide.  Along the way, I met Allison Williams, a Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN), who is the Critical Care Director for Mercy’s ICU and Progressive Care Unit (PCU). She has worked at Mercy for 18 years and has been in her current position for the last 3 years.  I cannot even begin to understand what she has seen and experienced in the nearly two decades she has been a nurse.  But, from the moment I met her, she radiated this unexplainable warmth, coupled with a calm confidence, that made her instantly likable.  She was exactly the kind of nurse that you would expect to be in charge of a critical care unit at a hospital, and exactly the kind of nurse that I would want caring for me.

 

The moment we walked into the ICU wing, I immediately noticed the chaotic sounds of machines beeping, monitors pinging, call buttons ringing and breathing machines respiring. Nurses, CNA’s and support staff were busy bustling about, with a sense of purpose and haste.  You could not help but feel the intense, critical nature of their work, as well as see the agony and pain on the faces of the patients behind the closed glass doors to each room.  Every day, all day the nursing staff triages patients, evaluating who needs the most critical care in their 16 ICU beds, and who can move to lower acuity care in their PCU. Their PCU has been temporarily turned into a secondary ICU for those that are still very ill and need a higher level of care than on a regular medical floor.  As of yesterday, the medical teams were caring for 36 patients in the ICU/PCU combo wing of the hospital.  Normally, the ICU holds up to 16 patients at a time.  Most of time they have 6-9 patients in the ICU, who average 1-2 day stays. But with the recent surge of COVID cases in the last six weeks, they are averaging 30-35 patients who need care for two plus weeks.  They normally don’t place ICU patients in the PCU wing, but the Mercy maintenance team have worked continuously to retrofit rooms with negative isolation units, breathing machines and glass windows in order to expand the wing to provide lifesaving care to more and more patients.  They have definitely learned to be adaptable in an unimaginable situation. As of yesterday, 63% of the patients at Mercy are COVID positive and they are at 87% total capacity.

 

Typically, staff in the ICU and PCU work three, 12 hours shifts per week, but many are working five to six, 12 hour shifts per week in order to meet the ever-increasing demand for staff needed to care for these critically ill patients. While you could clearly see the tired look in all their eyes, they continue to greet patients with a cheerful attitude.  It made you want to reach out, and give them a big hug and say thank you.  Under the strain of this surge in COVID cases, this is the first time they have seen the entire hospital system in Oregon working together to gladly share much needed medical equipment.  This is also the first time in its history that Mercy has had National Guard soldiers deployed to their hospital.  And, this is the first time they have had such a remarkable outpouring of support with workers and volunteers from local health care organizations, local business and county employees, deployed at the request of our Commissioners, stepping up to help.  They have received respiratory and other medical equipment and staff from the Roseburg VA, Coos Bay Hospital, Cow Creek Public Health, OHA, Aviva, Umpqua Health and Douglas County Government, to name a few.

Speaking of random acts of kindness, I once again was proud of our community for the amazing outpouring of support for the nurses, doctors and staff at Mercy. There were cards, flowers and hand drawn posters adorning the walls and work stations.  I saw pizza and food boxes in the break room.  Mercy Foundation manages all the donations, and they have received an enormous amount of care packages, food deliveries and donations since the surge began.  Including a donation of $500 in restaurant gift cards for the ICU team.  They plan to use those gift cards to buy lunches and maybe conduct a few raffles for the staff. Today, the Ford Family Foundation has donated two food trucks to feed the employees at the hospital.  Mercy Foundation and helpers will also be delivering meals from the food trucks to employees that are not able to leave their stations.  If you would like to contribute somehow in support of the hardworking teams at the hospital, contact Mercy Foundation at (541) 677-4818.

 

Mercy staff work under a motto coined from Dr. Jason Gray, the Chief Medical Officer at CHI Mercy Health, “We are running a marathon, but at sprinter’s pace!”  Then, the staff added, “Some days it feels like we are trying to run in flip flops”.   

 

At the end of the tour, I asked Allison why she does what she does, and she said, “I am here for patients that need my care, I’m here for my community and I’m here for my staff, whom I love, respect and consider family.”   I asked her if I could grant her one wish right now, what would she ask for?  She smiled and said “Fifty critical care nurses to walk through the door.” She then said, “But, more than anything I want people to know that COVID is real.  People are dying, our hospitals ARE really full, critical care beds are extremely hard to open up, and the current COVID survival rates in ICU’s are not good.  I want people to support our nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists and nurse’s aides, as we are all just doing our best to survive this crisis.”  She then added, “I ask that people take this seriously, get vaccinated and be cautious in everything they do.”

 

COVID-19 UPDATE FOR FRIDAY, AUGUST 27, 2021:

As of 12:00 pm today, Friday, August 27, 2021, there are ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-FIVE (195) people with new positive test results 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 8,218*. Currently, there are EIGHTY-NINE (89) Douglas County COVID-19 patients that are being hospitalized, seventy-two locally and seventeen 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: 10 ventilators (invasive mechanical airway support) and 19 BiPap (bilevel positive airway pressure) machines are currently in use, and 11 COVID positive patients are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).  Of our hospitalized cases today, EIGHTY-ONE (81) out of the 89 are not vaccinated. 

 

COVID-19 RECAP FOR THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, 2021:

On Thursday, August 26, 2021, at 12:00 pm we had ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY (140) people with new positive test results and FOUR (4) new presumptives to report bringing our total number of cases of people with positive test results and presumptives in Douglas County to 8,023*.  We had EIGHTY-FIVE (85) Douglas County COVID-19 patients hospitalized, seventy locally and fifteen 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: 14 ventilators (invasive mechanical airway support) and 17 BiPap (bilevel positive airway pressure) machines are currently in use, and 13 COVID positive patients are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Of our hospitalized cases Thursday, SEVENTY-FOUR (74) out of the 85 COVID patients 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 four more Douglas County residents related to the COVID-19 virus. Our one hundred and twenty-fourth COVID-19 related death was a 50-year-old man who was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Monday, August 16, 2021 and passed away on Thursday, August 26, 2021. He was not vaccinated. Our one hundred and twenty-fifth COVID-19 related death was a 66-year-old man who was made a presumptive case on Monday, August 16, 2021 and passed away on Wednesday, August 25, 2021. He was not vaccinated. Our one hundred and twenty-sixth COVID-19 related death was an 81-year-old man who was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Tuesday, August 10, 2021 and passed away on Thursday, August 26, 2021. He was not vaccinated. Our one hundred and twenty-seventh COVID-19 related death was a 43-year-old man who was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Sunday, August 8, 2021 and passed away on Thursday, August 26, 2021. He 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.

Douglas County, OR - COVID-19 - Case Update Chart**
Date	Monday August 23, 2021	Tuesday, August 24, 2021	Wednesday August 25, 2021	Thursday, August 26, 2021	Today, Friday, August 27, 2021
Total COVID-19 Cases	7,436	7,687	7,879	8,023	8,218
People w/ Positive PCR or Antigen Test Results	7,164	7,412	7,604	7,744	7,939
Presumptive	272	275	275	279	279
Total Currently Hospitalized	78	81	81	85	89
Total COVID-19 Related Deaths	116	119	123	123	127

**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 #5: I HAVE COVID, WHAT DO I DO KNOW?

If you have tested positive for COVID-19, it is crucial that you take care of yourself and protect others in your home and community, by staying home and isolating yourself.  As cases surge in Douglas County, you can help prevent the spread of this virus AND help streamline all local triaging efforts at our local medical care facilities by managing your symptoms at home if you are not experiencing any emergency warning signs. 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, please do not wait to seek medical care.  Physicians, nurses, CNAs and “Helping Hands” at CHI Mercy Health are working tirelessly to treat critically ill COVID and other patients that require hospitalization.  If you feel you need medical attention, please contact your primary care physician or go to a local Urgent Care clinic first, so they can determine the specific level of medical attention you need.  If you have questions about COVID or need resources, call the Douglas County’s COVID-19 Hotline at (541) 464-6550.

 

Here are a few tips to help you recover from COVID:

1. Unless a medical emergency, please stay home & let your body recuperate. Please only go to the hospital if your symptoms are urgent.
2. Get rest, stay hydrated. 
3. Talk to your healthcare provider about how to best manage your symptoms. 
4. Maintain a healthy diet, and ask your doctor about foods that could be beneficial for boosting your immune system. 
5. It is especially important to avoid sharing personal items with others. 
6. Isolate yourself to a specific room away from other people in your home, and if possible use a separate bathroom.
7. If you need to be around other people while you are symptomatic, it is recommended that you wear a mask. 
8. As always, cover coughs & sneezes with a tissue or the inside of your elbow. 
9. Wash your hands often with soap & water for 20 seconds and use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. 
10. Clean all high-touch surfaces often.
11. 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. 

 

Check out DPHN’s YouTube Channel for two new informational videos, featuring Dr. Bob Dannenhoffer, our Douglas County Public Health Officer, in a new series called, “What to do if you have COVID.”  Here are the links to the two new videos.  When To Seek Help If You Have COVID-19 and What To Do If You Are A Contact Of COVID-19 

 

BREAKTHROUGH CASES PRIMARILY OCCURRING IN OLDER VACCINATED PATIENTS

In Douglas County, the data researched and compiled by DPHN regarding local COVID cases continues to indicate the successful use of COVID vaccines in preventing severe illness, hospitalizations and death, even with breakthrough cases.  Remember, a breakthrough case is when someone who has been fully vaccinated gets infected with COVID, despite being fully vaccinated. Of the hospitalized cases in Douglas County so far in August, only 13% of our local hospitalized patients are categorized as breakthrough cases. From August 1 – 25, 2021, the average age of a hospitalized breakthrough COVID case in Douglas County was 67.5 years old.  The data also indicated that over half of our breakthrough cases were over the age of 73.  What we are seeing, is that our breakthrough cases are occurring primarily in the elderly, who typically have more age-related medical issues than younger patients. “Today, we reported that 70 of the 81 hospitalized COVID patients are not vaccinated. 11 are vaccinated, giving a vaccine efficiency to prevent hospitalization of 87%,” stated Dr. Bob Dannenhoffer, our Douglas County Public Health Officer. “The breakthrough cases leading to hospitalization have mostly been in older people.  While not perfect, if every adult was vaccinated, our cases would be manageable and our hospital would not be overrun. Almost all of our hospitalizations and almost all of our deaths have been among the unvaccinated.” Our local statistics continue to reinforce confidence in getting vaccinated.

 

While we are seeing breakthrough cases primarily in older patients, the more alarming statistic is the large number of hospitalizations and deaths occurring with younger, unvaccinated patients. August cases indicate that the age range of patients hospitalized locally with severe COVID-related illness is 17 to 91. What we are seeing is that with the prevalence of the Delta variant, this summer’s COVID surge IS affecting younger relatively healthy patients.  From August 1-25, 2021, the colossal COVID surge in Douglas County included 34 deaths and 3,253 cases.  Comparatively, in all of 2020 there were 39 COVID related deaths out of 1,394 cases in Douglas County. Now that at least one of the COVID vaccines has received “full approval” from the FDA, it’s strongest endorsement of safety and effectiveness, we encourage those that have been hesitant about getting the vaccine, to consider getting vaccinated. Coping with little to no or mild symptoms is better than the alternative of being placed on an artificial breathing machine. 

 

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.  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. 

 

UPDATE: COW CREEK PUBLIC HEALTH OFFERS FREE COVID-19 RAPID TESTING AND VACCINES FOR ALL COMMUNITY MEMBERS – SEVEN DAYS A WEEK

Shared from Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Tribe of Indians.  Cow Creek Health and Wellness Center has updated their COVID testing and vaccination information. All services are free of charge to all general community members as listed below.  Daily drive-thru testing and vaccination clinics are offered seven days a week across the street from the Cow Creek Tribal Government Office at 2360 NE Stephens Street in Roseburg.  Cow Creek Public Health offering free COVID-19 Rapid Testing and Vaccines For All Community Members:

• Monday through Friday from 8:15 am to 4:00 pm
• Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 am to 3:45 pm
• Last vaccine administered at 3:45 pm each day.
• No appointment necessary!
• You must be 18 years or older to receive the vaccine.
• COVID vaccines offered are Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.
• These events are open to the general public.
• You must bring your identification with you.
• Please be prepared to wait for up to 30 minutes after receiving your vaccine.

For more information, or to set up a visit, please call (541) 529-9608 or visit https://www.cowcreek-nsn.gov/public-health/

 

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