Coronavirus updates: Hospitalizations drop as California nears clearing testing backlog

One upside of the heatwave? People are staying inside.

But aside from the unpleasant temperature, the abundance of wildfires raging and the potential threat of rolling blackouts for many Californians, the coronavirus pandemic still looms.

As the temperatures hit record levels, the virus continues to set grim milestones. On Saturday, California’s total COVID-19 deaths surpassed 11,000. By Sunday, 224 deaths had been added.

Friday’s coronavirus announcements from public health officials also brought total statewide infections up to 600,000 — as of yet the only state to reach that high-water mark. As of Sunday, 621,562 people tested positive for the virus.

A backlog of coronavirus test results caused by a state health system error has almost been sorted out, according to California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Speaking during a Friday press conference, he said that of the 7,900 new cases added that day, more than half were from the backlog.

Although statewide infection numbers have been bouncing around recently due to the chaos in the system, one thing appears to be consistent: hospitalization rates are declining.

As of Sunday, 5,027 Californians were hospitalized, 1,619 of whom were being treated in intensive care units. At the pandemic’s peak in late July, nearly 7,100 people were hospitalized across the state, a figure which has dropped by almost 30% in less than a month. In just the past week, hospitalizations have gone down by 10%.

In the same week, reported statewide infections have gone up by 12.2%, and in the past two weeks, infections have gone up by 22%, although some of the increase is due to the backlogged cases.

Deaths have also continued to rise roughly in line with the rate of infections in California. In the past week, the total number of dead has increased by 9%, and increased by 20% in the past two weeks.

LATEST SACRAMENTO-AREA FIGURES

Trends in Sacramento County appear to be essentially analogous with those across California. Hospital rates in the county have been trending downward since the start of August, while infections and deaths have continued to rise.

County health officials have reported 13,615 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus, and 199 deaths. According to data from the California Department of Public Health, 249 people are being treated in county hospitals, 83 of whom are in ICUs. The county still has 102 ICU beds available for its roughly 1.5 million residents.

At its peak on July 30, Sacramento County saw 281 people hospitalized with confirmed cases of COVID-19. Since then, the number has dropped by 11%. But state data also shows that infections have gone up by 25% in just a week and by almost 40% in the past two weeks. Deaths have increased at an even higher rate, rising 28% in a week and just under 50% in two weeks.

The six-county region – Sacramento, El Dorado, Placer, Yolo, Sutter and Yuba – has reported 285 combined coronavirus deaths. The region on Thursday morning surpassed 20,000 total confirmed cases.

Yolo County health officials have reported a total of 2,046 cases and 46 deaths. Sunday’s updated added 25 new cases and on Saturday, 58 more were reported. The county reported a record-high 75 new cases on Monday, partially due to the case backlog. There are currently four patients in county hospitals, two of whom are in ICUs. The county has three ICU beds remaining, according to state data. The county has seen outbreaks at several long-term care facilities, which account for 118 of its total number of cases and 22 of its total deaths.

Woodland’s Stollwood Convalescent Hospital reported an outbreak in April and it is still the most severe outbreak in the county. There, 66 people connected to the facility have been infected with coronavirus and 17 have died. The facility will close permanently in September.

At Alderson Convalescent Hospital, also in Woodland, 11 residents and nine staff members have been infected. One person has died. Courtyard Healthcare Center in Davis has reported infections in seven residents and four staff members. Woodland Residential Services has reported six infections among staff and six among residents. Four people there have died of COVID-19.

Placer County has reported 2,600 cases and 28 deaths. On Sunday, 18 new cases were announced. On Saturday, 39 new cases were reported and one death was added. Another death was reported Friday, along with 57 new infections, and two deaths were reported on both Wednesday and Tuesday. There are 58 people hospitalized in the county and 14 are being treated in ICUs. The county has 34 ICU beds available, according to state data.

El Dorado County has reported a total of 827 cases and two deaths from COVID-19. On Friday, 25 new cases were reported by county health officials and on Thursday nine more cases were added. On Monday, the county reported its second COVID-19 death. There are currently two people in county hospitals, both of whom are being treated in ICUs. The county has 11 ICU beds available. El Dorado County remains the only county in the greater Sacramento area to have not been placed onto the state’s regional coronavirus watchlist.

Sutter County has reported a total of 1,094 cases and seven deaths. On Friday, health officials added 21 new cases of coronavirus and added 30 new cases Thursday. Fourteen people are being hospitalized. County health officials reported the highest single-day increase in infections on Monday, adding 44 more confirmed cases to the total. The last record was set on Aug. 5, when 41 people were confirmed infected.

In neighboring Yuba County, 758 people have been infected and four have died. On Friday, 21 new cases were reported and on Thursday, 30 more were added. On Aug. 9, 46 people received positive test results for coronavirus, which set a daily infection record. Twelve people in Yuba County are being hospitalized.

WORLDWIDE CORONAVIRUS NUMBERS

Worldwide, more than 21.5 million people have been infected with the coronavirus and over 772,000 people have died as of Sunday afternoon, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The United States accounts for the largest share of infections for any one country, with nearly 5.4 million cases and almost 170,000 deaths.

Brazil is the next leading nation, with just over 3.3 million infections and 107,000 deaths. India is third in reported infections with more than 2.5 million infections and fourth in deaths at nearly 50,000. Mexico recently jumped to third in deaths at more than 56,000.

WHAT IS COVID-19? HOW IS THE CORONAVIRUS SPREAD?

Coronavirus is spread through contact between people within 6 feet of each other, especially through coughing and sneezing that expels respiratory droplets that land in the mouths or noses of people nearby.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it’s possible to catch the disease COVID-19 by touching something that has the virus on it, and then touching your own face, “but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.”

Symptoms of the virus that causes COVID-19 include fever, cough and shortness of breath, which may occur two days to two weeks after exposure.

Most people develop only mild symptoms, but some people develop more severe symptoms, including pneumonia, which can be fatal. The disease is especially dangerous to the elderly and others with weaker immune systems.

This story was originally published August 16, 2020 at 3:13 PM.