UPDATE: 2 more in Centre County die of COVID-19 as cases in nursing homes continue to rise
Two more senior citizens recently died of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, to increase the county’s total coronavirus deaths to five, according to the Centre County coroner’s office.
The deceased include a 74-year-old man Tuesday and an 88-year-old woman Wednesday. Their names have not been released due to privacy issues, but both died at Mount Nittany Medical Center, per the coroner’s office.
It is not yet known what ZIP code they’re from or whether they resided in local nursing homes, but Centre County Coroner Scott Sayers said Wednesday afternoon that information should be publicly released “within a few days.”
According to data provided by the state Department of Health, Centre County added four new cases of COVID-19 within nursing/personal care homes Wednesday, boosting the county’s overall case total to 126.
Since April 28, when Centre County experienced its first confirmed positive case in a nursing home, nursing/personal care homes have accounted for 26 of the county’s 39 new cases. So far, those cases — 15 among residents, 11 among employees — have occurred within the same three such facilities, as confirmed by the Centre Daily Times: Wynwood House at State College, The Oaks at Pleasant Gap and Centre Crest.
The case breakdown at each facility is not known, as such information is not yet made public. Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said last week the governor’s office is still weighing public interest vs. privacy issues.
Still, countywide, Centre continues to meet state thresholds. It has confirmed about 15 new cases per 100,000 residents over the past two weeks — which remains well within the state’s target goal of having 50 such cases or fewer.
Statewide, the numbers continue to rise — but the rate of confirmed positive cases has slowed. As of noon Wednesday, there are now 58,698 total cases of the coronavirus in Pennsylvania, meaning 707 cases are new. That marks the 34th straight day that single-day increases have been at or below 10%, and the 13th consecutive day increases have been below 3%, after 34 consecutive days of the rate bouncing between 12% and 100%.
“As counties move from red to yellow, we need all Pennsylvanians to continue to follow the social distancing and mitigation efforts in place,” Levine said Wednesday in a written statement. “We must continue to protect our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians, which includes our seniors, those with underlying health issues, our healthcare workers and our first responders.”
Twenty-four counties (including Centre County) have partially reopened, and Gov. Tom Wolf announced that 13 more counties — in western Pennsylvania — will also partially reopen Friday. That means 30 other counties remain under stay-at-home orders or are not yet poised to move to the “yellow phase” of reopening.
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 230,000 patients have fully recovered in the U.S. out of nearly 1.4 million infected. (By comparison, 82,461 have died in the U.S. as of Wednesday morning.)
Locally, every county surrounding Centre County now has at least 31 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Totals from nearby counties are as follows:
- Blair County: 31 (0 deaths)
- Cambria County: 45 (1 death)
- Clearfield County: 31 (0 deaths)
- Clinton County: 41 (0 deaths)
- Huntingdon County: 197 (0 deaths)
- Juniata County: 94 (1 death)
- Mifflin County: 53 (0 deaths)
- Union County: 42 (1 death)
In Centre County, here’s the breakdown by ZIP code (those without cases are not listed):
- 16823 (Bellefonte, Milesburg and Pleasant Gap): 36
- 16801 (State College): 28
16803 (State College): 19
16827 (Boalsburg): 9
- 16870 (Port Matilda): 8
- 16686 (Tyrone): 6
16666, 16841, 16866, 16844, 16828, 16852, 16822: 1-4 cases each (Specific numbers not available)
The statewide death toll from the virus also rose Wednesday, increasing by 137 to 3,943 total. So far, five total COVID-19 deaths have been reported in Centre County — an 89-year-old man on April 16, a 96-year-old man Friday, an 89-year-old woman Saturday, a 74-year-old man Tuesday and an 88-year-old woman Wednesday, according to the Centre County Coroner’s Office.
According to the state Department of Health, about 37% of positive cases in the state involve someone aged 25-49, followed by those 65 and older (28%) and those aged 50-64 (26%). When it comes to hospitalizations, 20% of those aged 65-79 who test positive are admitted — followed by those 80 and older (19%), 50-64 (10%), 30-49 (5%) and 0-29 (2%).
According to the state’s hospital preparedness dashboard, no patients in the county are on ventilator care. Dr. Nirmal Joshi, chief medical officer for Mount Nittany Health, told the CDT last month 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.
This story was originally published May 13, 2020 at 12:17 PM.
