Countywide COVID ICU Patient Count Drops to Lowest level in Months

(CNS) – The overall number of people hospitalized with a coronavirus infection in Riverside County was little changed this week, though the number of virus-positive patients under intensive care dropped to among its lowest levels since April, according to the Riverside University Health System. As of Friday, the county reported 61 people hospitalized with COVID- 19, down slightly from earlier in the week, with a slight increase to 8 in intensive care. A week-to-week comparison of data showed that COVID-19 hospitalizations countywide totaled 65, up from 62 previously. Five of those patients were ICU admissions, down from 11 patients at the end of last week, RUHS figures showed. The last time the ICU patient count registered five was the second week of April. One month ago, 118 people were hospitalized throughout the county with a COVID infection, seven of whom were ICU patients. According to the agency, the total number of deaths from likely virus- related complications over the last 30 months stands at 6,561. The figure was 6,567 last week, and it was 6,543 two weeks earlier after being revised down 1% as a result of a data reassessment by the California Department of Public Health. RUHS posted a statement on its COVID data portal saying the process of "reconciling" death records is ongoing. The agency released preliminary data last week showing that, among those who died while hospitalized with a COVID diagnosis in September, 100% were fully vaccinated with a SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic. However, health officials stressed that the data is provisional and subject to revision. It will likely take until the end of the month for a more accurate figure to be published. RUHS’ revised data for August indicated that, among those who died while hospitalized with a COVID diagnosis during the month, 20% were fully vaccinated. The deaths weren’t classified as stemming directly from an infection, co-morbidities, or possible adverse reactions to the vaccines. Health officials said the aggregate number of COVID cases recorded since the public health documentation period began in March 2020 is 696,402. Copyright 2022, City News Service, Inc.