The immediate threat of the pandemic may be in the past, but the disease is still circulating in Deschutes County, with the virus being detected in wastewater samples.

In the county, the virus level has plateaued, which is better than some parts of Oregon, like Lincoln City or Hillsboro, where both are experiencing sustained increases in the number of positive samples being taken from wastewater. Wastewater monitoring can be used to detect transmission trends at the community level, according to the Oregon Health Authority.

“Age is the biggest risk factor to severe illness, and being up to date on immunization can help lower risk of severe disease,” said Emily Horton, Deschutes County Health Services Public Health Program manager. “Even if we had COVID-19 once, and it was mild, doesn’t mean it will be mild again and each of us must assess our own risk in consultation with our doctor. Just like flu, many people in our community will continue to see severe outcomes from illness.”

Unlike seasonal flu, which is from October through May, COVID-19 is a year-round disease, health officials say. The vaccines are available all year, as well.

Wastewater is a good way for public health officials to keep track of community trends, said Dr. Melissa Sutton, Oregon Health Authority’s director of Respiratory Viral Pathogens.

Wastewater doesn’t differentiate, however, between the different variants, but does indicate the current levels, which have not be anywhere near what they were at the height of the pandemic in 2020 to 2022, Sutton said. Samples are drawn from treatment facilities one to two times a week all year for COVID-19 and compared to the positivity rates, according to the health authority.

As of June 15, the state reported 176 positive cases of COVID-19, out of 2,668 tests. At the height of the pandemic, there were 17,798 positive tests out of 48,517 tests during the week of Jan. 15, 2022, according to the health authority data.

Health officials encourage those who are immune compromised or older than 65 to obtain a second COVID-19 vaccination before October. All others need to wait until a new vaccine is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, said Sarah Van Meter, Deschutes County Health Services Immunization Program coordinator.

According to the Oregon Health Authority, roughly 19.9% of the county’s population has been vaccinated for COVID-19. In Crook County it’s 11.9% and in Jefferson County is 13.1%, according to the dashboard map.

When patients come to Mosaic Community Health, Dr. Jeff Bulkley tells them that COVID-19 isn’t likely to go away. It will be part of our lives for the foreseeable future.

“(COVID-19 has) the ability to mutate in ways that allow it to infect our bodies and evade our immune system,” Bulkley said. “Although it may be less prevalent and fatal than it once was, it is still worth protecting yourself from infection.”

The COVID-19 virus runs the gamut of severity, Bulkley said. Some patients experience long-term side effects; others require hospitalization, and some experience respiratory distress that can cause patients to miss days of work.

Everyone six months or older should get the 2023 vaccine for COVID-19, Bulkley said.

Deschutes County health officials are treating COVID-19 like the annual flu. Get vaccinated, they say.