No cases of coronovirus in Oregon yet, but its effects are felt in other ways

(FEBRUARY 15, 2020) The Multnomah County Health Department (MCHD), the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) all want citizens and visitors to be safe and healthy. These government agencies try to protect and improve the health of people in Multnomah County, the state of Oregon, and all of the United States. One of their primary jobs is to share information about disease prevention.

The three organizations continue to report the fast-changing situation around the new respiratory infection known as "novel coronavirus" or COVID-2019. The outbreak of this virus began in Wuhan City, China, in December 2019. Symptoms can include cough, trouble breathing, and a fever.

As of today, more than 67,000 people around the world have become infected and more than 1,500 people have died, most of them in China. 15 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in the United States. However, the MCHD and OHA say no cases of the virus have been reported in Oregon yet. As the disease spreads and testing increases, those numbers will likely continue to change rapidly.

The U.S. government has taken unprecedented steps related to travel in response to the growing public health threat posed by this new coronavirus. This includes suspending entry of foreign nationals who have visited China within the past 14 days. The government has also begun to monitor the health of those who are allowed entry into the United States (U.S. citizens, residents and family) who have been in China within 14 days.

The epidemic is affecting the economy, too, including in Oregon. A story in the Willamette Week newspaper provided and update. "Josh Lehner, an Oregon state economist, says the impact of coronavirus may only amount to a blip in the long term, but there will still be short-term effects, especially on Oregon's exports. The closure of Chinese factories to which Oregon companies export goods, coupled with Chinese employees staying home from work due to illness, could exacerbate effects on Oregon's economy, Lehner says." That's because China ranks first in terms of countries to which Oregon exports goods, totaling over $7 billion in 2019.