MEMBER NEWS
Update on COVID-19 Pandemic in Oregon at the April Chamber Forum Virtual Forum with Walter J. Urba, M.D., PhD, Providence Cancer Institute, Sponsored by: Providence Health & Services. T he COVID-19 pandemic has impacted millions of lives around the world. In the United
States, there have been over 500,00 fatalities and COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death, following cancer and heart disease, said Dr. Walter Urba, with the Providence Cancer Institute. Urba noted Oregon has been fortunate to have fewer cases than other parts of the country. “Oregon has had over 167,000 cases between March 2020 and right now,” he added. Reflecting on what we have learned since the pandemic began, Urba reiterated the most common symptoms of the disease are fever, cough, fatigue and shortness of breath. “Unfortunately, these non-specific symptoms are not perfect and we know we’ve missed cases and asymptomatic patients. But two notable symptoms which emerged were a loss of smell or taste,” Urba explained. Additionally, about 81% of patients experience mild to moderate symptoms, Urba said. “Around 10% of people suffer severe cases and end up in the hospital, and another 5% are critical cases,” he said. In regards to testing, things have come a long way in the past year. Urba said initially, we didn’t have enough tests or equipment. Fortunately, testing has become more common and can even be done at home. Urba then shifted his focus to the new
vaccines. Even though vaccines have been tested, approved for emergency use and administered, he urged people to focus on prevention rather than treatment. Especially with new variants circulating, preventative measures such as wearing a mask and social distancing are critical. The presentation then moved into a question and answer period, with many queries from the virtual audience. The first question posed was about COVID-19 “long haulers”. “These cases present quite a challenge. These people do not have the virus anymore, but they’re experiencing a variety of non-specific symptoms affecting quality of life,” said Urba. At this time, Urba said they do not know if this is a consequence of the
Walter J. Urba, M.D., PhD, Providence Cancer Institute
individual’s immune response or damage done by the virus. “Right now it’s important to offer supportive care to help people through these symptoms.”
“These cases present quite a challenge. These people do not have the virus anymore, but they’re experiencing a variety of non-specific symptoms affecting quality of life,” said Urba.
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The Business Review | April 2021
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