The Oregon Health Authority on Thursday reported five new deaths from the novel coronavirus as confirmed cases climbed to 2,127.
The agency said four people in Multnomah County — a 94-year-old woman and three men ages, 74, 78 and 87 — as well as a 70-year-old Clackamas County man were the latest known patients to succumb to the illness, bringing the statewide death toll to 83.
Each had an underlying medical condition, health officials said, though they didn’t specify what the conditions were.
A recent study by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found hypertension, obesity, chronic lung disease, diabetes and cardiovascular disease to be among the most common underlying conditions of COVID-19 patients requiring hospitalization.
In addition, state health officials said 68 residents — in Clackamas (8), Coos (1), Deschutes (4), Douglas (1), Hood River (1), Klamath (3), Linn (4), Malheur (1), Marion (9), Multnomah (16), Umatilla (1), Wasco (1), Washington (18) counties — tested positive for the virus in the last 24 hours.
About 2,850 new people received coronavirus test results in the last two days, according to figures published on the health authority’s website. Nearly 44,000 Oregonians have been tested for the illness since the state confirmed its first case on Feb. 28.
There are now known coronavirus cases linked to 31 of Oregon’s 36 counties. The five counties that have yet to document a single case — Baker, Gilliam, Harney, Lake and Wheeler — are all located in the central and eastern parts of the state and have a combined population of just under 34,000.
Of the state’s known cases, 1,004 people, or 47%, are under age 50, state figures show. Another 356, or 17%, are over 70.
At least 512 of the state’s COVID-19 patients, or 24%, have been hospitalized at some point during their illness, according to the Oregon Health Authority. Twenty-three of them are currently on ventilators.
Health officials have reported 78 previous COVID-19 deaths in the state, including residents from Benton, Clackamas, Josephine, Lane, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Washington and Yamhill and counties.
Their ages ranged from 41 to 98. The average age is 78. All but one had an underlying medical condition at the time of their death, according to state health officials.
At least 43 of the state’s coronavirus deaths have been people associated with senior care homes in Oregon, state officials said.
Nationwide, nearly 855,000 Americans have tested positive for COVID-19 while the number of deaths surpassed 47,000, including at least 692 in Washington. At least 42 states as well as Washington, D.C., have reported 1,000 or more coronavirus cases.
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