Q&A with OHA: Oregon's Public Health Conversation
The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has been spearheading dozens of efforts to quell the COVID-19 pandemic--massive data collection, testing expansion, policy changes, guidance development, standing up the field of contact tracing, research into emerging medical evidence from here and around the world, and so much more. In addition to that work, they have created regular ways to communicate this work with various communities in Oregon. As part of the community service array in Oregon, OSSA has been joining the weekly Community Partner information calls that OHA has hosted. We have also joined a few of the media conferences hosted by OHA for media questions and answers. Today we'll share some of the interesting discussions we've heard regarding COVID-19 in Oregon.
Finding the Path Forward
Our society is currently consumed with finding a way back to “normal” after months of staying home. But what of the other part of that line–staying safe? We have succeeded in “flattening the curve” here in Oregon, meaning that we have slowed this disease from tearing through our population at the deadly pace at which it began. But we have done so at great cost, through the extraordinary measures of closing down businesses, schools, recreation, and non-essential medical care. How do we keep from undoing all of our good work by allowing the virus to travel freely among us? This is a question we will be grappling with for months to come.