DOH Weekly Update: COVID-19 hospitalization rate rises again as case rates continue to trend down in Cumberland County

The Sentinel - 10/2/2022

Sep. 30—Cumberland County COVID-19 case rates showed decreases again, but its 14-day hospitalization rate increased to its highest level since early June.

The county's 14-day rate for hospitalizations sat at 20.3 Wednesday according to the state Department of Health, the highest 14-day rate for the county since June 7. The rate sat at 14.3 on Sept. 21, 13.4 on Sept. 14, 15.4 on Sept. 7 and 16.5 on Aug. 31.

Hospitalization rates tend to track higher after increases in case rates. The county's seven-day case rate is continuing to trend down from rates in the 50s in August. It sat at 35.8 Wednesday, down from 40.7 Wednesday, 36.6 on Sept. 21, and 46.7 on Sept. 14.

Cumberland County remained in the low level of community spread according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data as of Sept. 29.

The CDC updates its community levels data every Thursday afternoon. It uses new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population (7-day total), new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population and percent of inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients (7-day average) to determine its community spread levels of high, medium and low.

Thursday's update shows four counties in the state in the high level for COVID community levels as of Sept. 29, 16 fewer than the previous week. Mifflin county is in the high category for the southcentral region, with Juniata, Huntingdon, Fulton and Franklin counties in the medium level. The state has 31 counties in the medium level, three more than the previous week.

County data

The Health Department reported 251 cases and no deaths for Cumberland County in the past seven days, 34 fewer cases than the previous week. The county's seven-day average for case counts decreased to 35.8, down from 36.6 on Sept. 21.

The southcentral region totaled 10 deaths in the past week, eight fewer than the previous week. York County had six of those deaths.

There were 20 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in Cumberland County in Wednesday's update, one less than last week.

There was one adult in intensive care and no one a ventilator Wednesday. Sixteen adult ICU beds remain open of the 71 currently staffed across the county, and 14 of 72 ventilators in the county are in use.

Franklin County's hospitalizations decreased by two to 23 patients Wednesday, with eight of its 29 currently staffed ICU beds available. There is one adult in the ICU and no one on a ventilator.

Dauphin County's hospitalizations increased by five this week to 34 patients Wednesday, with 25 of its 166 currently staffed ICU beds available. There are five adults in the ICU and one on a ventilator.

Vaccine update (Sept. 28)

In data updated Thursday evening, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 72.8% of Cumberland County's population is fully vaccinated. The CDC also reported that 76.7% of the population 5 and older is vaccinated, and 81.6% of the population 12 and older is fully vaccinated.

The CDC also reported that 45.5% of the county's fully vaccinated population has received a booster vaccine.

Early Warning Dashboard update (Sept. 28)

Cumberland County showed decreases for the second straight week in its COVID-19 percent positivity and its incidence rate per 100,000 people in the Health Department's weekly update to its Early Warning Monitoring System Dashboard.

The county's percent positivity decreased to 16.4% for the week of Sept. 21-27, down from 21.5% the previous week. The incidence rate per 100,000 people decreased to 63.1, down from 85.6 the previous week, 90.4 two weeks ago, 78.1 three weeks ago.

Mifflin County has the highest incidence rate in the Midstate at 192.9, with Bradford topping the state at 203.9. Mifflin County has the highest percent positivity rate in the Midstate at 20.8%, with Cameron County topping the state at 37.5%.

County numbers in the southcentral region (updated Sept. 28 — weekly totals):

— Adams County (pop. 103,009): 154 new cases; 28,828 total cases (24,213 confirmed, 4,615 probable); 393 deaths; 57.2% of county population vaccinated

— Bedford County (pop. 47,888): 45 new cases; 12,162 total cases (8,122 confirmed, 4,040 probable); 282 deaths; 39.8% of county population vaccinated

— Blair County (pop. 121,829): 149 new cases; 33,167 total cases (26,460 confirmed, 6,707 probable); 646 deaths; 54.4% of county population vaccinated

— Cumberland County (pop. 253,370): 256 new cases; 58,521 total cases (44,249 confirmed, 14,272 probable); 930 deaths; 72.8% of county population vaccinated

— Dauphin County (pop. 278,299): 243 new cases; 67,283 total cases (55,585 confirmed, 11,698 probable); 1,011 deaths; 65.8% of county population vaccinated

— Franklin County (pop. 155,027): 167 new cases; 46,647 total cases (39,083 confirmed, 7,564 probable); 742 deaths (+2); 51.2% of county population vaccinated

— Fulton County (pop. 14,530): 25 new cases; 4,700 total cases (2,509 confirmed, 2,191 probable); 68 deaths; 37% of county population vaccinated

— Huntingdon County (pop. 45,144): 76 new cases; 12,969 total cases (10,816 confirmed, 2,153 probable); 261 deaths; 52.6% of county population vaccinated

— Juniata County (pop. 24,763): 35 new cases; 5,397 total cases (4,958 confirmed, 439 probable); 185 deaths; 41.8% of county population vaccinated

— Lebanon County (pop. 141,793): 197 new cases; 41,624 total cases (35,857 confirmed, 5,767 probable); 536 deaths; 58.1% of county population vaccinated

— Mifflin County (pop. 46,138): 101 new cases; 13,937 total cases (13,237 confirmed, 700 probable); 288 deaths (+1); 51.3% of county population vaccinated

— Perry County (pop. 46,272): 40 new cases; 9,759 total cases (7,543 confirmed, 2,216 probable); 192 deaths (+1); 50.5% of county population vaccinated

— York County (pop. 449,058): 595 new cases; 136,166 total cases (113,489 confirmed; 22,677 probable); 1,574 deaths (+6); 60.9% of county population vaccinated

COVID-19 Early Warning Monitoring System Dashboard (Sept. 21-Sept. 27):

(Counties with a percent positivity above 5% in a week go on the Department of Health's watch list)

— Pennsylvania:

— Percent Positivity — 13.0% last 7 days (14.2% previous 7 days)

— Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days — 85.6 (104.3 previous 7 days)

— Adams County:

— Percent Positivity — 14.1% last 7 days (15.0% previous 7 days)

— Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days — 122.3 (137.9 previous 7 days)

— Cumberland County:

— Percent Positivity — 16.4% last 7 days (21.5% previous 7 days)

— Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days — 63.1 (85.6 previous 7 days)

— Dauphin County: