Oregon

Oregon’s respiratory virus season predicted to remain mild compared to the past two years

Published

2 years ago

January 5, 2024

Oregon’s respiratory virus season predicted to remain mild compared to the past two years

Oregon’s 2023 to 2024 respiratory virus season has yielded less hospitalizations than the past two years and is predicted to remain relatively mild, according to Dr. Peter Graven, director of Oregon Health and Science University’s office of advanced analytics.

Since November, hospitalizations due to COVID-19, RSV and flu have been lower than he anticipated, and Oregon has had less cases and hospitalizations than most other states, Graven said.

Though hospitalizations are down from recent years, the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention has said the numbers nationally remain higher than in the 2017 to 2018 season before the spread of COVID-19.

The respiratory illness season, which typically begins in November and runs through March, is marked by increased spread of respiratory viruses and hospitalizations due to illnesses such as COVID-19, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and influenza.

Graven has been putting out regular forecasts since March 2020 detailing past data and predicting respiratory virus cases and hospitalizations for the next month.

By predicting hospitalization rates, he can help medical facilities understand the potential risk for capacity challenges and give Oregonians an idea of what the likelihood of contracting a respiratory illness is.

While the respiratory illness season in Oregon has been mild so far this winter, Graven cautioned people to continue taking necessary steps to protect themselves and others, like staying up to date on vaccines, especially those who are at higher risk of developing serious complications.

“Cautiously, I’d say things look good, but that doesn’t mean it’s over yet,” said Graven.

COVID-19 less widespread in Oregon than in other states

COVID-19 hospitalizations in Oregon started increasing in mid-November 2023 and have continued to slightly increase since then, according to CDC data.

A peak occurred on Dec. 2, with 226 new COVID-19 hospitalizations. The majority of those hospitalized then were infected with the newest COVID-19 strain, JN.1.

JN.1 accounted for about 44% of all cases nationwide as of Dec. 23, according to the CDC. JN.1 appears to be more contagious than other recent strains but is not causing more serious illness.

COVID-19 hospitalizations and test positivity are much lower in Oregon than in most other states, but there is no clear explanation why, said Graven.

RSV hospitalizations in Oregon likely to stay lower than last year

RSV hospitalizations have increased in the past month but are not close to the record levels seen last year, CDC data shows.

In the week of Dec. 23, the rate of RSV hospitalizations in Oregon was 1.2 per 100,000 people, which is lower than the national average of 1.8.

Some states are having equivalent waves like last year, said Graven, but he does not expect RSV rates in Oregon to reach the point they were at last year when they peaked at 4.6 hospitalizations per 100,000 people.

The flu season has been mild so far in Oregon

Flu hospitalizations in Oregon also have increased in the past month, but hospitalization rates are relatively mild, said Graven.

There were less than 100 new flu hospital admissions in Oregon as of Dec. 27, though CDC forecasts predicts these numbers to increase throughout January.

Sydney Wyatt covers healthcare inequities in the Mid-Willamette Valley for the Statesman Journal. Send comments, questions, and tips to her at SWyatt@gannett.com, (503) 399-6613, or on Twitter @sydney_elise44

The Statesman Journal’s coverage of healthcare inequities is funded in part by the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, which seeks to strengthen the cultural, social, educational, and spiritual base of the Pacific Northwest through capacity-building investments in the nonprofit sector.

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Oregon

Oregon Lottery Pick 4 results for March 5

Published

2 hours ago

March 6, 2026

Press Room

The Oregon Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 5, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Pick 4 numbers from March 5 drawing

1PM: 6-6-8-1

4PM: 7-4-6-0

7PM: 5-6-5-2

10PM: 3-5-4-4

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Oregon Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 7:59 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 7:59 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 4: 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. daily.
Win for Life: 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Megabucks: 7:29 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Oregon editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Oregon

Where Oregon Ducks rank in industry recruiting rankings for 2027 class

Published

14 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Where Oregon Ducks rank in industry recruiting rankings for 2027 class

With the winter evaluation period of high school football recruiting now behind us, we’ve seen some of the top recruiting sites update their rankings over the past few weeks and start to reset their boards for the 2027 class. In February, On3 shifted players around after getting fresh looks at the class, and 247Sports did the same earlier this week.

So with Oregon’s handful of commits getting new ratings, where does the Ducks’ class rank nationally in this cycle?

If you look at sites individually, it looks different, with 247Sports having Oregon sitting at No. 13 in the nation. At Rivals, though, they take the industry ranking, which factors in their own rankings, plus an average from 247Sports and ESPN.

In the industry rankings, Oregon sits at No. 9 in the nation, with five commitments.

Going into the summer months, the Ducks are in a great spot, leading or among the top schools for a handful of the top prospects in the nation, like 5-star QB Will Mencl or 5-star WR Dakota Guerrant. We will see what movement Oregon can make in the coming months after official visits take place early in the summer.

Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.

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Oregon

New Data Shows Oregon E-Scooter Injuries on the Rise

Published

1 day ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

New Data Shows Oregon E-Scooter Injuries on the Rise

Data released by the Oregon Health Authority this week suggests Oregonians are getting hurt on electric scooters more every year.

In recent years, according to OHA, an “e-scooter-specific code” was developed for health care tracking purposes.

From 2021 to 2024, annual injury reports under this code from Oregon hospitals and emergency departments jumped from 211 to 418.

And in just the first nine months of 2025, there had been 509 such reports.

“These injuries are not minor scrapes,” said Dagan Wright, an OHA epidemiologist, in a written statement. “They often involve head injuries, broken bones, and other serious trauma that requires emergency or inpatient care.”

The city of Portland signed contracts with three e-scooter rental companies in 2018, as the transportation craze spread across the country. But e-scooter injury diagnosis codes are relatively new in health care reporting, Wright said in the OHA statement.

“While the overall numbers remain smaller than for other transportation-related injuries, the rapid increase over a short period of time is a clear safety signal,” OHA added.

The agency highlighted the story of Portland e-scooter commuter Daniel Pflieger, who it says was riding a scooter home when he reportedly slid on ice. He bruised several ribs.

Sometimes outcomes are worse. OHA identified 17 deaths linked to electric or motorized scooters since 2018, and seven of those occurred in 2025.

OHA says that e-bikes raise many similar safety concerns as e-scooters. The first full year for which e-bike injuries were coded for reporting was 2023. State data shows 392 reported e-bike injuries that year, 683 in 2024, and 760 in the first nine months of 2025.

“Injuries involving e-bikes and e-scooters share common risk factors—speed, lack of helmet use, roadway design, and interactions with motor vehicles,” Wright said.

Oregon E-Scooter Injuries on the Rise (Source: Oregon Health Authority)

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