Centre County adds 2 COVID-19 cases as state reports a 2nd area nursing home has a case
A second Centre County nursing/personal care home now has a confirmed case of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, according to the state Department of Health.
The first case was reported Tuesday, when the The Oaks at Pleasant Gap acknowledged a resident and staff member were both infected. But it’s unknown where Wednesday’s case occurred, as such information is not yet made public — although state and federal politicians have received some bipartisan support for making such information public in the future.
The only thing that is known at this point is that the second case among nursing/personal care homes came at a second facility, according to the DOH. (The DOH also reported a COVID-19-related case and death at a county nursing home last week, before correcting that information a day later to say there were no cases or deaths.)
Overall in the county, there were two new confirmed cases of the coronavirus Wednesday, bringing the total number of cases to 95. That means, over the last five days, there’s been 18 more confirmed positives — after the county suffered just four new cases between April 17-24.
Statewide, the numbers continue to rise — but the rate of confirmed positive cases has slowed. As of noon Wednesday, there are now 44,366 total cases of the coronavirus in Pennsylvania, meaning 1,102 cases are new. That marks the 20th 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 Wednesday in a written statement. “We must continue to stay home to protect ourselves, our families and our community.”
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, nearly 950,000 patients have fully recovered worldwide out of about 3.1 million infected. (By comparison, 218,564 have died worldwide as of Wednesday morning.)
Locally, every county surrounding Centre County now has at least 14 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Totals from nearby counties are as follows:
- Blair County: 23 (0 deaths)
- Cambria County: 25 (1 death)
- Clearfield County: 14 (0 deaths)
- Clinton County: 30 (0 deaths)
- Huntingdon County: 29 (0 deaths)
- Juniata County: 82 (1 death)
- Mifflin County: 36 (0 deaths)
- Union County: 33 (0 deaths)
In Centre County, here’s the breakdown by ZIP code (those without cases are not listed):
- 16823 (Bellefonte, Milesburg and Pleasant Gap): 27
- 16801 (State College): 26
16827 (Boalsburg): 9
- 16803 (State College): 8
- 16870 (Port Matilda): 7
16841, 16866, 16686, 16844, 16828, 16852, 16822: 1-4 cases each (Specific numbers not available)
The statewide death toll from the virus also rose Wednesday, with the state adjusting its numbers after reconciling data, increasing the number of deaths by 479 to 2,195 total. So far, one total COVID-19 death has been reported in Centre County — an 89-year-old man, according to Centre County Coroner Scott Sayers. (That death was first reported by the state April 17 but occurred a day earlier.)
According to the state Department of Health, about 38% of positive cases in the state involve someone aged 25-49, followed by those aged 50-64 (27%) and 65 and older (26%). When it comes to hospitalizations, 20% of those 80 and older who test positive are admitted — followed by those 65-79 (20%), 50-64 (10%), 30-49 (5%) and 0-29 (2%).
According to the state’s hospital preparedness dashboard, no COVID-19 patients (and two non-COVID-19 patients) 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. The most well-known symptoms are cough and shortness of breath — but can also include the presence of at least two of the following: fever, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and loss of taste/smell.
Symptoms can appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure, according to the CDC.
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 out 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.
