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Coronavirus Vaccine Update

https://www.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/2020/12/oregon-to-get-147000-coronavirus-vaccine-doses-in-december-state-says.html

Oregon to get 147,000 coronavirus vaccine doses in December, state says

Fedor Zarkhin | The Oregonian/OregonLive. Updated Dec 07, 2020; Posted Dec 05, 2020

The first batches of coronavirus vaccines are slated to be shipped to Oregon mere weeks from now, marking the initial step of what will be a months-long effort to end the pandemic.

But with 4.2 million Oregonians potentially in line to be vaccinated, much remains unclear about the state’s capacity to oversee an unprecedented mass immunization program that will stretch well into 2021, if not longer.

Oregon officials said they are expecting at least 147,000 vaccine doses this month. That’s more than initially anticipated and enough to provide the first of two doses to at least 100,000 people, a state spokesman said, with health care workers at the front of the line.

The plan hinges on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approving two vaccines for emergency use, which it is widely expected to do in the coming days.

“I know these are the vaccines we have all been waiting for,” Gov. Kate Brown said during a news conference Friday. “I am asking you all to buckle down for just a little bit longer.”

Months of hardship will pass before most Oregonians can get immunized — the key to ending the pandemic, saving untold lives, fully opening stores and restaurants and allowing friends and family to start guiltlessly coming together again.

Indeed, Friday set a new record for daily coronavirus cases and deaths, topping 2,000 newly confirmed or suspected infections and 30 fatalities. And the worst is almost certainly yet to come, with state health officials predicting 2,000 to 2,700 people will test positive for the virus each day by Christmas Eve.

Still, after 10 months of uncertainty, Friday’s official announcement of expected shipment dates for concrete numbers of vaccine doses offered some measure of optimism for a state that, like the rest of the world, has grown weary.

Assuming the vaccine gets federal approval, a 35,100-dose batch of a vaccine created by pharmaceutical company Pfizer will be shipped on Dec. 15. Tests have shown the vaccine has no serious side-effects and prevents illness in 95% of people who get both of the doses it needs to be effective, the company has said.

Another 40,950 doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be shipped the following week, as well as 71,900 doses of a vaccine developed by pharmaceutical company Moderna. That company has said its vaccine protects 94.5% of those who get the two mandatory shots and is also safe.

The state expects another 87,750 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 31,700 doses of the Moderna vaccine to be shipped Dec. 29. Those batches will be used to provide a second dose to those who have already received the first.

“This is, no doubt, terrific news,” said Patrick Allen, director of the agency leading the state’s coronavirus response, the Oregon Health Authority, also noting that the numbers are subject to change.

The state drafted a vaccine distribution plan Nov. 6 that outlines in broad brush strokes how officials intend to prioritize who gets access first.

The initial limited doses will go to the state’s approximately 300,000 frontline health care workers and 60,000 to 70,000 senior care home residents and staff.

Next on the priority list will likely be essential workers, people with chronic health conditions and people over 65.

One key challenge to distributing the vaccine will be the extraordinarily cold temperatures one of them requires to remain viable. The Pfizer vaccine must be stored at -94 degrees Fahrenheit.

The state said it would consider a “hub system,” in which providers who are able to store the vaccine get enough doses to then distribute to providers who are not. The Oregon Health Authority plans to map out where in the state providers are able to keep the vaccine at such low temperatures and decide which vaccine to send where depending on the results.

Health equity is also key to Oregon’s vaccination plan. The state has pledged to work closely with community organizations to make sure the plan is developed in tandem with groups representing those disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

Among other things, the groups will help find gaps in access and figure out why certain people might not trust government officials – both barriers to broad vaccination.

The health authority will also form a vaccine advisory committee, to include representatives from marginalized groups, to help it decide how to allocate the vaccine.

Black Oregonians have been infected at 3.5 times the rate of whites, state data show, and Hispanic people have been infected at 5.1 times the rate of people who are not Hispanic.

“The Oregon Health Authority recognizes the impact that longstanding health inequities, which are rooted in systemic racism and oppression, are having on the transmission and prevalence of COVID-19 in Oregon,” the health agency wrote in its month-old draft plan, which has not been updated.

The agency also singled out people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. While not inherently at greater risk of complications, people with such disabilities are more likely than the rest of the population to have underlying medical conditions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Other at-risk groups include those in prison, those experiencing homeless, migrant workers, students and people who don’t have health insurance.

It could be months before even the prioritized groups get vaccinated. About 700,000 doses will be needed to vaccinate all health care workers and senior care home staff and residents, Allen said. The batch coming this December will be enough to get just a fraction of the priority groups their first vaccine dose.

Another complication is the time it takes manufacturers to produce the vaccines, Allen said.

“It’s going to be a while before the vaccine is going to be available to regular Oregonians,” Allen said.

While President Trump pushed for a vaccine before the Nov. 3 election, federal regulators have been methodical in ensuring safety before approving it for nearly 330 million Americans. The United Kingdom this week approved use of the Pfizer vaccine, which America is expected to greenlight soon.

Researchers are currently testing 58 vaccines on humans, according to The New York Times, and at least 87 others are being tested in animals.

Brown and Allen touched on the controversial topic of vaccine safety, a hot-button issue in recent years, particularly in Oregon.

“When it is my turn to receive a vaccine,” Brown said, “I will be ready to take it.”

Until vaccines are available to the broader population, however, Allen and Brown are asking Oregonians to stick to the tried-and-true methods they have been hammering for months: staying at home, avoiding gatherings, wearing a mask and washing hands frequently.

Do you have a tip? Send me an email.

— Fedor Zarkhin

fzarkhin@oregonian.com

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Happy Thanksgiving

Nick Rinard Physical Therapy smiling torso over a hot baked turkey

Nick Rinard PT will be CLOSED for Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 26th 2020 and Friday November 27th, 2020.

Although we may not be able to be surrounded in person by friends and loved ones this year, where there is a will there is always a way. We wish everyone the best connecting through social media, zoom, facetime or your favorite technology of choice.

From everyone at Nick Rinard Physical Therapy – We wish you a happy Thanksgiving and as always….

…. Nick Rinard Physical Therapy is very Thankful to have you in our lives! We couldn’t do it without you!

Despite the recent events occurring nation wide and the increasing barriers to quality health care we survive because of you!

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NPR: Covid 19 update as winter and holiday activity set in.

Nick Rinard Physical Therapy employees will continue to follow personal health emergency guidelines out side of clinic hours.

Please stay up to date with the risks associated with indoor gatherings. Stay safe. Protect yourself for that of your family and friends.

We are here for you!

As U.S. reaches 250,000 deaths from COVID-19, a long winter is coming
Medical advances have reduced the infection fatality rate in the U.S. But experts warn that indoor gatherings, cold temperatures and pandemic fatigue augur dark months ahead.

Read in NPR: https://apple.news/Ad3FElgufT0Gv4etvDK9tUQ

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Stand your ground: Tips to stay save during winter weather

Slippery streets, short days, and increase stress can make winter a high-risk season for falls and injuries. 

How can you help prevent falls at home?

One excellent way to avoid falls is to improve your strength and balance.

Our team at Nick Rinard Physical Therapy is ready to help you!

Here are some helpful tips for falls prevention from CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/falls/adultfalls.html

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Covid-19 update: Nick Rinard Physical Therapy and the holidays.

The holiday season is a great time to reflect on the past year.  It is a time when we, at Nick Rinard Physical Therapy, get to look back at all the wonderful people we have had the privilege of helping!

Nick Rinard Physical Therapy will continue to be open as we move through this busy time. Kate Brown specifically mentioned physical therapy clinics are to remain open because they improve our health, well being and the environment in physical therapy clinics has not been found to be where viral spread has occurred.

Our clinic will continue to be open for in person and telehealth visit.

Nick Rinard Physical Therapy continues to have great success using the telehealth service. Since March, we have now treated a range from shoulders, knees, necks, hip and backs. We have gotten patients much needed results.

Our patient’s ability to adapt have given us a lasting CHEER this year!

It is a blessing being here to help people who have been in pain for a single day or many years and  improving the quality of life for the people in our communities truly makes our work meaningful.

 Thank you for being a part of it, for sharing your success stories with us and others and referring friends and family who could use our help.

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Please continue to wear your masks to protect not only yourself but for the health of the community.

Nick Rinard Physical Therapists and entire staff are very mindful of practicing social distancing and CDC guidelines since becoming aware of Covid-19 and its ability to spread since March.

We continue to wear masks to protect ourselves, our patients and the health of the community.

Wear masks to protect yourself from the coronavirus, not only others, CDC stresses
The public health agency had previously emphasized that masks protect other people from viruses you might expel. The new advice gives a less altruistic reason to wear face coverings.

Read in NPR: https://apple.news/Ad6YBxNMvRBe4HD9sDW7avg

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Just a few tips to remember as the weather gets cold during a pandemic.

As cold weather arrives, do you notice more people sniffling and sneezing? Let’s look at a common health myth that is appropriate for our fall season: The common cold is caused by being cold. Your mom may have told you, “Put on a sweater or you will catch your death of a cold!” Most folks now realize that the cold is caught from a virus, not from ambient temperature.  The cold viruses, or rhinoviruses, are passed through physical contact or proximity to infected people.  Infected people can share their germs through coughing and sneezing.

So, science disproves that old myth that temperature creates illness.  Those miserable sore throats, runny noses, and headaches are caused by the viruses themselves.

Mom may not have been entirely off base with her association, though! Cold viruses enter the human body through the nose.  This is where our snot comes to the rescue, bundling up the viruses into an easily swallowed package that can be dropped into the caustic cauldron of the stomach where acid quickly degrades it.  However, when we breathe cold air through our noses, the cooler temperature slows down the movement of the mucus.  Since the snot cannot race to your rescue, the virus is more likely to enter the body through the mucus membranes and make you sick.

Also, cold viruses cannot survive high temperatures.  Cold weather is the preferred climate for rhinoviruses, and they can flourish in autumn temperatures for a longer time.  This improved survival rate increases the probability that a cold virus will be successfully passed from individual to individual.

So this myth is partially true – cold weather can increased your susceptibility to catching a cold from a virus by impairing your natural mucus defenses and boosting the survival rate of the virus.

Margo Burette, PT, DPT

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Are you struggling with unclear medical costs and afraid to get help for the pain you are currently experiencing?

This year has brought a lot of unknowns and increased patients’ fear to getting care they need.

You may have noticed that it is getting increasingly difficult for you to get the treatment you prescribe. This can only have negative effects on your overall health for the next few years to follow.

If it’s not fears related to Covid-19, patients are looking at high deductibles, out of pocket costs, required authorizations, and low number of authorized visit per benefit year.

Nick Rinard Physical Therapy’s focused treatment get’s our patients results within just 3-4 visits. 

We promise to discharge you and refer you back to your most trusted health care provider for further evaluation if there is not significant improvement after 4 visits.

We don’t want you taking any unnecessary risks, wasting time or money for ineffective therapies!

You will feel better with the right treatment!

Call 503-244-6232 and/or fax 503-244-7410

To schedule your visit at Nick Rinard Physical Therapy today!

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