COVID-19 hospitalizations fall slightly, still higher than mid-summer – LNP | LancasterOnline

COVID-19 hospitalizations in Lancaster County remain significantly higher than mid-summer, but are nowhere near the tally during the height of the pandemic.

During the week ending Oct. 28, 20 new people were hospitalized in the county with COVID-19, a bit lower than Septembers peak of 34 and also down from Octobers peak of 27. That compares with two new people hospitalized during the second week of July, and 14 during the first full week of September. These numbers are from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Though new weekly hospitalizations were in the single digits during much of the summer, they sharply increased in August, jumping from six hospitalizations in the week ending Aug. 5 to 19 in the week ending Aug. 26.

The CDC and the state of Pennsylvania no longer track COVID-19 cases, so deaths and new weekly hospitalizations are some of the best indicators of virus levels in a community.

None of this years weekly numbers compare to the pandemics peak when new weekly hospitalizations in the county reached 233 during January 2022.

Since Sept. 9, Lancaster County has seen 12 deaths from COVID-19, bringing this years total to 94. These numbers, from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, are released on the last Wednesday of every month. The most recent data ends with Oct. 25.

Lancaster General Hospital has seen an increase in the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19, according to Lancaster General Health chief physician executive Dr. Michael Ripchinski.

While there were around five COVID patients per day at that hospital back in July, mid-to-late October saw around 15 to 20, Ripchinski said by email. These numbers show the total number of COVID-19 patients in that hospital on one day, a different metric than new weekly hospitalizations.

And of these patients, few require oxygen support, Ripchinski said.

Recent COVID-19 tests administered to the community by LGH have been around 13 to 16% positive, but the number of people taking these tests is low, Ripchinski said.

As LNP | LancasterOnlinereported in October, Ripchinski said the virus will likely become more prevalent during late fall and winter. At an Oct. 19 press conference, he urged people to get the updated COVID-19 vaccine.

Vaccine induced immunity is more effective and safer than developing immunity from infection, Ripchinski said.

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COVID-19 hospitalizations fall slightly, still higher than mid-summer - LNP | LancasterOnline