Massachusetts breaks down coronavirus hospitalizations: 51% primary COVID, 49% incidental COVID
State health officials on Thursday reported a continuing drop in new coronavirus cases, while officials gave a breakdown of COVID-19 hospitalizations between primary and incidental virus patients.
The Department of Public Health reported that 51% of statewide COVID hospitalizations are currently being hospitalized due to COVID (1,624 patients for primary COVID), and 49% of hospitalized patients were reported as testing positive for COVID while hospitalized for other reasons (1,563 patients for incidental COVID).
Patients are reported as being hospitalized due to COVID if they received dexamethasone treatment. Administration of dexamethasone, a type of steroid medication, is considered an indicator of moderate to severe COVID, and provides an estimate of primary COVID.
Thursday’s daily count of 14,384 new virus cases was significantly down from last Thursday’s report of 18,721 infections. That’s a 23% decline week-over-week.
Cases are taking a dive after data from the Boston-area coronavirus wastewater tracker — the earliest indicator of future COVID cases in the community — showed that a rapid fall was on the way.
The daily average percent positivity had been surging in the last month, but it’s now dropping. The average percent positivity is now 15.03%, down from 23% earlier this month. The rate for Thursday’s report was 11.30%.
State health officials reported 86 new COVID deaths, bringing the state’s total recorded death toll to 21,295. The daily average of deaths is now 49, compared to 77 daily deaths during the peak of last winter’s surge.
COVID-19 hospitalizations have been climbing during the omicron wave, but have ticked down this week.
There are now 462 patients in intensive care units, and 280 patients are currently intubated.
Of the 3,144 total patients, 1,503 patients are fully vaccinated — or about 48%. Those who are unvaccinated are at a much higher risk for a severe case.
Overall in the Bay State, more than 5.1 million people are fully vaccinated, and more than 5.9 million people have gotten at least one shot. The state reported that more than 2.5 million people have received a booster dose.
from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/33CLSaH
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