Oregon Gov. Kate Brown issued an executive order on Wednesday to assist hospitals during an increase of respiratory illnesses — the so-called tripledemic.
“The combination of surging flu, RSV and COVID-19 cases is pushing hospitals past their current ICU bed capacity which never happened during the darkest days of our COVID-19 pandemic in Oregon,” said Dean Sidelinger with the Oregon Health Authority.
The order gives $25 million to Oregon hospitals.
“OHA and Governor Brown are taking action to aid hospitals in this crisis by giving hospitals needed staffing flexibility and providing emergency short term resources to enable hospitals to bring more nurses and other staff from out of state,” said Sidelinger.
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The tripledemic is hitting Central Oregon hard.
“It feels like the viruses are back with a vengeance. Kids are getting sicker. They’re staying out longer,” said Mosaic Medical Doctor, Abby Henricks.
It’s impacting one age group more than others.
“We’re seeing it hit babies really strong,” said Dr. Hendricks. “RSV has always been challenging for infants, but I’m also seeing it hit our younger toddler age kids who haven’t been sick for the last two years.”
In some cases, Dr. Hendricks is even aware of sick children being sent out of state for treatment because Oregon hospitals are full.
“I know they are shipping kids out as far as Boise, Idaho trying to find available beds,” she said.
Bend-La Pine Schools are seeing a slow decrease in attendance from September, citing an increase in students calling out sick. The Redmond School District is saying the same.
“In the elementary, we’re seeing 2-5 [students] go home per school per day and then at our secondary level, probably more like 5-7,” said school nurse Kim Kirk.
Mosaic Medical recommends getting up to date on vaccinations and staying home or wearing a mask if you feel sick.
