TRACE field workers are briefed before heading out to canvass neighborhoods in Redmond.
Courtesy of Oregon State University
Coronavirus case counts are on a hopeful trajectory overall in Oregon. But a recent door-to-door testing program in Redmond shows the virus is still prevalent, at least in that central Oregon community.
Oregon State field workers canvassed several neighborhoods on the last weekend of January offering free testing to residents. More than one-third of the households contacted agreed to take part. The results indicate that just over 3% of Redmond residents have COVID-19, according to TRACE researchers.
OSU says it’s one of the highest prevalence rates they’ve found since the TRACE program began last spring. “It indicates the true number infected is much higher than the number of active cases,” said TRACE-COVID-19 project leader Ben Dalziel, an assistant professor in the OSU College of Science.
Since last April, the TRACE program has tested for the prevalence of the coronavirus in Corvallis five times, in Newport twice, and in Hermiston, Eugene and Bend once. Redmond is the sixth community the program has visited.
