COVID-19 admissions on the rise at Mount Nittany Health as Pa. sets 1-day case record
Mount Nittany Medical Center reached a record number of COVID-19 inpatients Friday, the same day Pennsylvania set a single-day record for most new COVID-19 cases.
Fifteen people are hospitalized, ranging in age from 23 to 95. Mount Nittany has treated an average of nine COVID-19 patients per day in October; that’s up from an average of two COVID-19 patients per day in September.
The Keystone State reported 2,219 cases of the new coronavirus, while Centre County added 59 cases and one death, according to the state Health Department.
The sustained increase of admissions due to COVID-19 is “concerning,” Chief Medical Officer Nirmal Joshi said in a written statement. A majority of the hospital’s patients are elderly, who are at higher risk of dying from the disease.
Five of the 15 inpatients are long-term care facility residents.
“Although recently reported trends reflecting a decline in overall community cases is encouraging, increased cases and hospitalizations among vulnerable elderly populations is cause for concern,” Joshi said. “It is also a reminder to be even more vigilant and thoughtful in consistently practicing preventive measures, including masking, social distancing and frequent hand washing.”
Mount Nittany Health is using its surge capacity plan, and is also “constantly adapting to meet the needs of both COVID-19 positive patients as well as other patients needing care, including those with general medical needs and those scheduled for surgical procedures,” Joshi said.
Of Centre County’s new cases, two are long-term care residents, according to the DOH. There are now 100 cases in 12 facilities. There have been 39 cases in employees, and that number has not changed since Wednesday.
County Coroner Scott Sayers reported Wednesday two new deaths attributed to COVID-19. A 92-year-old woman died Monday and a 69-year-old woman died Tuesday. The coroner’s office counts 13 deaths in Centre County as COVID-19 related while the DOH lists 16.
Centre County has reported 505 cases since Oct. 10, which is nearly half the amount reported from Sept. 26 to Oct. 10. The county has the ninth-highest incidence rate in the state, according to the DOH.
Its testing positivity rate since Friday is 4.9%, which is about the statewide average.
The breakdown of Centre County cases by ZIP code is as follows, according to the DOH:
- 16801 (State College): 2,343 confirmed (39 new cases), 68 probable
- 16802 (University Park): 604 (9 new cases), 7 probable
- 16803 (State College): 257 (1 new case), 13 probable
- 16823 (Bellefonte and Pleasant Gap): 155 (8 new cases), 15 probable
- 16686 (Tyrone): 62 (2 new cases), 1-4 probable
- 16870 (Port Matilda): 37 (1 new case), 1-4 probable
- 16827 (Boalsburg): 35 (1 new case), 1-4 probable
- 16866 (Philipsburg): 33, 1-4 probable
- 16828 (Centre Hall): 33, 5 probable (at least 1 new case)
- 16875 (Spring Mills): 31, 1-4 probable
- 16853 (Milesburg): 30, 0 probable
- 16841 (Howard): 27, 1-4 probable
- 16822 (Beech Creek): 15, 0 probable
- 16851 (Lemont): 12, 0 probable
- 16820 (Aaronsburg): 10, 1-4 probable
- 16854 (Millheim): 10 (1 new case), 1-4 probable
- 16845 (Karthaus): 9, 0 probable
- 16877 (Warriors Mark): 10, 1-4 probable
- 16666 (Osceola Mills): 8, 1-4 probable
- 16844 (Julian): 8, 0 probable
- 16804 (State College): 7; 0 probable
- 16860 (Munson): 6, 1-4 probable
- 16865 (Pennsylvania Furnace): 6, 1-4 probable
- 16872 (Rebersburg): 6, 1-4 probable
- 16826 (Blanchard): 5, 0 probable
- 16829 (Clarence): 5, 0 probable
- 16868 (Pine Grove Mills): 5, 1-4 probable
- 16677, 16832, 16852, 16856, 16859, 16874, 16882: 1-4 cases each
The state does not provide specific numbers when there are fewer than five cases to protect patient privacy, and does not identify exactly where a case occurred in a ZIP code that spans multiple counties.
This story was originally published October 23, 2020 at 2:10 PM.