Health
Riverside County Sees Slight Decrease in COVID Hospitalizations
(CNS) – The number of people hospitalized with a coronavirus infection in Riverside County decreased by seven people to 210, according to the latest state numbers. Of those patients hospitalized as of Saturday, 24 were being treated in intensive care, unchanged from the previous day. One month ago, 79 people were hospitalized throughout the county with a COVID infection, two of whom were ICU patients, according to the Riverside University Health System. The total number of deaths from likely virus-related complications over the past 32 months stands at 6,693, RUHS officials said. The figure was 6,686 the previous week. The number has been revised downward at least once in the past two months as a result of a data reassessment by the California Department of Public Health, which is ongoing. Health officials say the majority of people who die with COVID-19 are elderly or have an underlying health condition, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease or hypertension. The RUHS released figures last week showing that, among those who died while hospitalized with a COVID diagnosis in October, 42% were fully vaccinated with a SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic. That compares to 44% who died in September after being fully vaccinated, according to data. The total number of fatalities in October was 12, and in September, 16. The deaths weren’t classified as stemming directly from an infection, co-morbidities, or possible adverse reactions to the vaccines. November figures are slated to be released at the end of this month. A fully vaccinated person can still contract and transmit COVID, but health officials say the vaccines offer protection against developing severe symptoms that can result in hospitalization and even death. County health officials said the aggregate number of COVID cases recorded since the public health documentation period began in March 2020 is 706,396. Copyright 2022, City News Service, Inc.
By: Ceci Partridge
December 5, 2022