State College hospital has its first inpatient COVID-19 case, Mount Nittany Health says
Mount Nittany Medical Center is treating its first inpatient that is positive for the new coronavirus, the health care system said late Wednesday night.
The test results were confirmed Wednesday evening, a spokesperson said in a statement.
“I want to emphasize that we have been preparing for months for this situation,” Mount Nittany Health Chief Medical Officer Nirmal Joshi said in a statement. “Guided by our rigorous adherence to (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) procedures and protocols and the expertise of our Mount Nittany Health staff, proper protocols are in place for the patient’s care, and our facilities continue to be safe for our employees, providers and patients. The health and safety of our community, patients and staff is our highest priority.”
No additional information, including the patient’s condition, was released by Mount Nittany due to federal privacy laws and “out of respect for the family,” a spokesperson said.
There are 7,016 cases of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania as of noon Thursday, including 28 in Centre County, according to the state Department of Health.
There were 1,211 new cases reported Thursday — the largest single-day increase yet. Centre County’s first case of COVID-19 was reported March 20.
About 50% of the 730 people that have been hospitalized since March 6 due the coronavirus are older than 65, according to the state DOH.
“I want to express my deep appreciation to the Mount Nittany Health employees and providers during this extraordinary time,” Mount Nittany Health President and CEO Kathleen Rhine said in a statement. “Our expertise in caring for our patients is only matched by the compassion that is shown to every patients and to each other. Our teams continue to work around the clock to ensure continued access to care in a safe environment.”
This story was originally published April 2, 2020 at 12:19 AM.