Oregon coronavirus: What we know so far

The new coronavirus has reached Oregon, and the situation is changing fast. Here’s what we know as of March 1.

© Therese Bottomly | The Oregonian/OregonLive/oregonlive.com/TNS Kaiser Permanente Westside Medical Center in Hillsboro, where the coronavirus patient is being treated.

-- The lone case: Oregon’s first and so far only coronavirus patient worked at Forest Hills Elementary School in Lake Oswego but did not have a job with close student contact. School and health officials still have not identified the person or said anything about the person’s condition.

-- Who else: The Lake Oswego superintendent said a limited number of people had contact with the person. She did not identify who they were, their relationship to the patient or how many. Their last possible close contact with the person was Feb. 19. The patient was in isolation at Kaiser Permanente Westside Medical Center in Hillsboro.

-- Test confirmation: The state is still waiting for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to confirm the results of a coronavirus test kit analyzed by a Hillsboro lab. Until then, the Oregon case is “presumptive.”

-- Deep clean: A team from contractor ServPro was onsite and evaluating Forest Hills Elementary on Saturday for a deep clean and could start as early this weekend, district officials said.

-- Other schools: The Lake Oswego School District has no plans to close other schools. Forest Hills is closed through Wednesday.

-- Transmission risk: Health experts repeated that coronavirus is most dangerous for old people and those with underlying conditions. The vast majority of cases are mild. The virus is thought to be spread from person to person when in close contact – within about 6 feet – through droplets emitted when a person coughs or sneezes. It may also be possible to catch the virus by touching a surface that has the virus and then touching the mouth, nose or eyes.

-- Best advice: Stay home if sick, call your doctor if you have trouble breathing or other significant symptoms and determine if you need to seek further treatment or can stay home. Kids in the metro area with any symptoms should stay home. Do not go to a doctor if your only reason for going is fear of a coronavirus infection.

-- What’s next: The Oregon Health Authority says it will let people know almost immediately after it learns of any new cases. There was one person under investigation as of Friday, unrelated to the Forest Hills employee. The state is now able to do its own tests for coronavirus, meaning that officials don’t have to wait days for the CDC to tell them if someone is sick.

-- Fedor Zarkhin

fzarkhin@oregonian.com

desk: 503-294-7674 5/8 cell: 971-373-2905 5/8@fedorzarkhin

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.

———

©2020 The Oregonian (Portland, Ore.)

Visit The Oregonian (Portland, Ore.) at www.oregonian.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.