Your COVID-19 primer for Thursday, April 9
Oregon, by the numbers
The number of confirmed Oregon cases of COVID-19 rose by 83 on Thursday, April 8, to a total of 1,321, up from 1,239 on Tuesday.
The Oregon Health Authority also reports six new deaths due to the COVID-19 outbreak, raising the total from 38 to 44.
The new deaths include: A 74-year-old man in Linn County who tested positive on March 22 and died on April 3 at his residence; a 97-year-old man in Linn County who tested positive on March 15 and died on April 4 at his residence; an 87-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on March 28 and died on April 6 at her residence; a 41-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on April 5 and died on April 8 at Oregon Health & Sciences University; is a 66-year-old man in Multnomah Latest The Portland Times County who tested positive on March 31 and died on April 5 at his residence; and a 74-year-old man in Benton County who tested positive on March 26 and died on April 8 at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Corvallis. All six had underlying medical conditions.
The new confirmed cases include 17 in Marion County; 16 each in Multnomah and Washington counties; six in Clackamas County; five in Deschutes County; four each in Jackson and Yamhill counties; three each in Linn and Umatilla counties; two each in Lane and Morrow counties; and one each in Columbia, Curry, Klamath, Polk and Tillamook counties.
Oregon Health Authority reports new cases once a day at the Health Authority website.
The United States, by the numbers
As of Thursday, April 9, the CDC reports a total of 427,460 confirmed cases in the United States. That's up by more than 32,000 cases from Tuesday's total of 395,011.
The CDC also reports a total of 14,696 deaths as of Thursday. That's up overnight from 12,754 reported Wednesday.
Readers can track the daily spread of the disease here.
The CDC counts only deaths in which the presence of the coronavirus is confirmed in a laboratory test. according to the Washington Post. "We know that it is an underestimation," agency spokeswoman Kristen Nordlund told the Post.
It's a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person.
The name COVID-19 stems from the disease's origin: (CO)rona(VI)rus (D)isease that first emerged in 20(19).
The virus causing COVID-19 is not the same as the coronaviruses that commonly circulate among humans and cause mild illness, like the common cold. Find out more at the CDC website.
How is it spread?
The virus is thought to spread mainly between people who are in close contact with one another — "close" meaning within about 6 feet — through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person Press Release Distribution Services coughs or sneezes. (It also may be possible that people can get it by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose or possibly their eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.) Learn what is known about the spread of newly emerged coronaviruses at this site.
Most patients with COVID-19 have had mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms of fever, a cough and shortness of breath. In the more severe cases, some patients have pneumonia in both lungs, multi-organ failure and, in some cases, death.
How can I help protect myself?
Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
What should you do if you're sick?
Stay home when you are sick. Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. And clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
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