Oregon Hospitals Brace for Respiratory Surge Echoing 2022 Crisis

The Oregon Health Authority has issued a warning about surging respiratory illnesses, particularly flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), as hospitals in Portland, Salem and Eugene report higher admissions among children and adults. This uptick evokes the 2022 RSV epidemic, when statewide pediatric inpatient census jumped 19% from a median of 306 to 364 beds, and pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) occupancy soared 50% from 24 to 36 beds during a four-week peak. Total weekly pediatric admissions statewide ballooned from 270 pre-surge to 435, a 61% increase, forcing children's hospitals like Doernbecher at OHSU to slash elective admissions by 33% to manage the crush.

OHSU's December 2022 forecast predicted ongoing strain, with RSV hospitalizations peaking post-Thanksgiving before a gradual decline, even as influenza and COVID-19 cases spiked sharply. Influenza hospitalizations rose abruptly in the prior two weeks, while COVID-19 patients were projected to hit 408 statewide around Dec. 12, up from 363 on Nov. 30, per Oregon Health Authority data. Infants and toddlers bore the brunt, filling PICUs as Gov. Kate Brown extended a state of emergency to bolster hospital resources amid the 'tripledemic' of RSV, flu and COVID.

Surveillance from 23 voluntary sentinel labs across 36 Oregon hospitals tracks RSV trends, though not mandatory reporting limits full visibility. The 2022 crisis underscored real-time data's role, with automatic feeds revealing a 368% surge in pediatric respiratory admissions and highlighting needs for better pediatric disaster planning. Officials urge vaccinations, masking in crowds and hand hygiene, especially with major cities' facilities under pressure.