According to the NY Times COVID-19 Data Tracker, Benton County added at least 116 cases of the virus to its pandemic-wide case count, resulting in just over 6,000 cases having been reported since March 2020. Young adults (aged 18- to 49-years-old) continue to account for more than half of the COVID-19 cases reported in Benton County.
Statewide, Oregon reported over 7,700 cases of the virus last week, which continues the state’s slow but steady decline in case reports. Vaccination rates decreased slightly compared to the week before, but are still higher than throughout the summer and early fall. Oregon also passed a sad milestone of over 5,000 total deaths from COVID.
Over 637,100 cases were reported countrywide over the past week, which was an increase compared to the previous week. Midwest and northeastern states remain the areas of highest transmission in the U.S. Holiday travel is expected to result in higher case numbers, with the hope that vaccines will protect most from becoming seriously ill.
Booster Shots Now Available to Adults in Oregon
On Saturday, Nov. 20, the Oregon Health Authority announced that booster shots of all three COVID-19 vaccines would be available to any Oregonian aged 18 years or older. This came a day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved the recommendation of booster shots for the general public. Until now, only Oregonians over the age of 65 or with underlying medical diagnoses were eligible for a booster.
Both the OHA and the CDC recommend a booster for adults six months after they received their last shot of either Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or two months after getting their last Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Also new is the ability to “mix and match” vaccinations — meaning adults eligible for boosters do not need to seek out the same brand as their original vaccine.
While it has been found that being fully vaccinated even six months ago still provides promising protection against the virus, studies are showing that the effectiveness of the vaccines does start to lessen after the half-year mark. A review of recent studies published by the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy indicates mixed results of studies attempting to understand how vaccine protection may change through time. One study in the U.S. found 91% effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine up to six months after the second dose. However, another recent study in England showed decreasing protection after just 10 weeks, mostly observed in older adults.
Another study included in the review compared one group of 60+ year old participants who received a booster at least five months after receiving their last vaccine to a group who were also fully vaccinated but did not get a booster shot. The results showed that the group who did not get booster shots contracted COVID at a rate of 11 times higher than the booster recipients.
This adds to the growing body of research pointing to the benefits of receiving a COVID booster, especially amongst the 60-years-and-older population.
New Mothers and Pandemic Depression
Research published over the weekend in the medical journal AJOG Global Reports highlighted renewed concerns about the pandemic’s effect on pregnant women and new mothers. The authors of the study, which took place in India, interviewed roughly 250 COVID-positive pregnant and postpartum women about their experienced levels of depression and anxiety leading up to hospital admittance, and again six to eight weeks after giving birth.
The results indicated that over 80% of participating expectant and new mothers were experiencing mild to moderate rates of depression. During interviews six weeks after giving birth, rates of reported depression slightly increased.
Almost all participants who gave birth were able to hold, breastfeed, and care for their babies almost immediately after labor. Because all participants of the study were COVID-positive and kept in isolation from the general public, none were allowed visitors or partners present during labor and delivery.
Based on survey responses from the pregnant and postpartum women, the biggest fear was stigma surrounding pregnant women having contracted COVID-19. This concern was closely followed by worries about a lack of emotional and financial support during labor.
The study identifies a need for quicker, more frequent mental screening of pregnant and postpartum women to combat the negative emotional effects the pandemic can take on both new mothers and babies. The authors conclude that more studies should be done to pinpoint the causes of anxiety amongst this vulnerable group, as they likely vary based on culture, economic status, and the state of the pandemic in a given location.
This is a weekly column updating the residents of Benton County on local, national, and international news on the pandemic. If you would like to make suggestions of topics to cover related to the virus, please email any resources or thoughts to covidupdate@corvallisadvocate.com.
By: Lauren Zatkos
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