Centre County back to 1 COVID-19 death as state Department of Health adjusts data
One death attributed to the new coronavirus was removed Thursday from Centre County’s tally, according to data released by the state Department of Health.
The agency reexamined the way it reported deaths, which previously included probable COVID-19-related deaths. Further investigation ruled out some probable cases, Health Secretary Rachel Levine said in a Thursday briefing.
“This verification process is very intensive and under normal circumstances it can take months to complete,” she said. “We continue to refine the data that we are collecting to provide everyone this information in as near time as we possibly can. This is really difficult with thousands of reports each day.”
Centre County is now back to one COVID-19-related death, an 89-year-old man who died April 16. The statewide death toll from COVID-19 also decreased from 1,622 to 1,394.
The Centre County coroner’s office said Tuesday afternoon it has not been notified of any new COVID-19 deaths. Mount Nittany Health also confirmed Tuesday afternoon that it has suffered only one total death so far.
Centre County is also off the state’s list of COVID-19 cases associated with nursing home and personal care homes, two days after the state reported the first case and death within an unidentified county facility.
No new cases of COVID-19 were reported Thursday in Centre County, keeping the total number of cases in the county at 76.
Data is updated as more information is available, Deputy DOH Press Secretary Maggi Mumma wrote Wednesday in an email.
“As we receive more reports from commercial labs and we investigate positive cases, it is important that the cases are counted in the correct county, which is the county of residence,” Mumma wrote. “Some specimen submissions could include different addresses, such as the address where the specimen was collected. Through our investigations, we will determine the county of residence, and if we need to update our data, will do so.”
There are 37,053 cases of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania as of noon Thursday, an increase of 1,369 since noon Wednesday. Thursday marks the 14th consecutive day that single-day increases have been at or below 10%.
Single-day increases bounced between 12% and 100% for 34 consecutive days before the rate of positive increases slowed.
About 10% of the 794 tests administered in Centre County have resulted in a positive test, according to the DOH.
The new coronavirus first appeared in the state March 6, and every one of the state’s 67 counties had at least one confirmed case by April 7. Centre County saw its first case March 20, and reported its first death April 17.
It is unknown how many Pennsylvanians have recovered from the coronavirus. The state Department of Health is not notified when patients are discharged. To date, there are 113,735 patients who have tested negative statewide.
In Centre County, here’s the breakdown by ZIP code (those without cases are not listed):
- 16801 (State College): 26
16823 (Bellefonte, Milesburg and Pleasant Gap): 15
16827 (Boalsburg): 8
- 16803 (State College): 8
- 16870 (Port Matilda): 7
16866, 16686, 16844, 16828, 16852, 16822: 1-4 cases each (Specific numbers are not available)
According to the state’s hospital preparedness dashboard, which was last updated noon Monday, 2,744 Pennsylvanians are hospitalized and receiving treatment for COVID-19. No COVID-19 patients in Centre County are on ventilator care.
Anyone who believes they came into contact with someone who might have the coronavirus is advised to monitor their health and call their primary care provider if they develop symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Symptoms include cough, fever and shortness of breath. Symptoms can appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure.
Those who believe they might be sick are encouraged to stay at home except to get medical care. Residents are also urged to call their health care provider before visiting. And those who do venture outside are urged to wear masks.
This story was originally published April 23, 2020 at 12:45 PM.