Centre County reports 2nd COVID-19 related death, as Pennsylvania tops 34,000 positive cases
After four straight days without a new positive case of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, Centre County added another coronavirus-related death Tuesday in addition to four new confirmed cases, according to the state Department of Health.
That means there are now two total coronavirus-related deaths for the county and 77 total positive cases.
On its website, the state Department of Health reported the first case and death within a Centre County nursing home or personal care home. The name of the facility has not been released, although state and federal politicians have received some bipartisan support in making such details public in the near future.
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.
It’s not yet known why there’s a discrepancy between the state reporting the death without such local entities corroborating. Judy Pleskonko, Centre County’s chief deputy coroner, said she would have expected an alert already from said nursing or personal care home.
“They should still notify us because it’s part of a pandemic,” she said. “And we haven’t heard of anything.”
Pleskonko said it’s possible the death occurred outside of Centre County because coronavirus cases are counted based on permanent residency and not where someone is currently staying. It’s also possible that last Friday’s death — the first in the county — occurred at a nursing home and the state is just now catching up to reporting it. And, lastly, according to DOH spokesperson Nate Wardle, it’s also possible a medical professional at a nursing home certified the death without a coroner.
The Centre Daily Times reached out to more than 10 area nursing and personal care homes Tuesday, and none of those who responded said they had a COVID-19 death.
Statewide, the rate of positive cases is slowing, although the number of cases continues to rise. As of noon Tuesday, there are now 34,528 total cases of the coronavirus, meaning 1,296 cases are new. That marks the 12th straight day that single-day increases have been at or below 10%, after 34 consecutive days of the rate bouncing between 12% and 100%.
“As we see the number of new COVID-19 cases continuously change across the state that does not mean we can stop practicing social distancing,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said in a written statement Tuesday. “We must continue to stay home to protect ourselves, our families and our community.”
Gov. Tom Wolf announced Monday the statewide stay-at-home order will be extended until May 8, but the economy will be gradually reopened once that date hits.
It is unknown how many Pennsylvanians, or Centre County residents, have recovered from the coronavirus because the state Department of Health doesn’t receive reports when patients are discharged. However, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, more than 650,000 patients have fully recovered worldwide out of about 2.5 million infected. (By comparison, 171,810 have died worldwide as of noon Tuesday.)
Locally, every county surrounding Centre County now has at least 11 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Totals from nearby counties are as follows:
- Blair County: 14 (0 deaths)
- Cambria County: 20 (2 deaths)
- Clearfield County: 11 (0 deaths)
- Clinton County: 11 (0 deaths)
- Huntingdon County: 13 (0 deaths)
- Juniata County: 72 (0 deaths)
- Mifflin County: 21 (0 deaths)
- Union County: 29 (0 deaths)
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): 9
- 16803 (State College): 8
- 16870 (Port Matilda): 7
16866, 16686, 16844, 16828, 16852, 16822: 1-4 cases each (Specific numbers not available)
The statewide death toll from the virus also rose Tuesday, increasing by 360 to 1,564 total. So far, two total COVID-19 deaths have been reported in Centre County — including an 89-year-old man, according to Centre County Coroner Scott Sayers. (That death was first reported by the state Friday but occurred Thursday.)
According to the state Department of Health, about 39% of positive cases in the state involve someone aged 25-49, followed by those aged 50-64 (28%) and 65 and older (25%). When it comes to hospitalizations, 20% of those 80 and older who test positive are admitted — followed by those 65-79 (19%), 50-64 (9%), 30-49 (5%) and 0-29 (2%).
According to the state’s hospital preparedness dashboard, no COVID-19 patients (and one non-COVID-19 patient) in the county are on ventilator care. Dr. Nirmal Joshi, chief medical officer for Mount Nittany Health, recently told the CDT that the hospital can currently provide ventilator care for up to 40 patients.
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.
“Please stay at home whenever you can, avoid unnecessary social contact and keep washing your hands,” said Dr. Brian Newcomb, director of the Mount Nittany Medical Center emergency department. “Remember the most vulnerable in our community and how much they’re relying on all of us right now. Practicing social distancing can significantly help to slow the spread of COVID-19. ... We’re all in this together.”
The state updates its county-by-county coronavirus numbers at noon every day.
This story was originally published April 21, 2020 at 12:47 PM.
