COVID-19 hospitalizations still at very high levels in Southwest County

It’s little surprise: while COVID-19 hospitalizations are down at some local hospitals, they rose at others in the latest data released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and coronavirus patients continue to make up an extraordinary percentage of those hospitalized in Riverside and San Diego counties.

Coronavirus patients are in fact a majority of patients at all Southwest Riverside County hospitals except one, as well as at Palomar Medical Center Escondido, the closest San Diego County hospital to Fallbrook.

Per the data released by federal health officials on Jan. 24, averages of 60% of patients at Temecula Valley Hospital, 52% of patients at Southwest Healthcare System (which includes Inland Valley and Rancho Springs medical centers in Wildomar and Murrieta, respectively), 48% of patients at Loma Linda University Medical Center Murrieta and 55% of patients at Palomar Medical Center Escondido had the coronavirus in the week before the report. Those percentages are down slightly from the week prior for Southwest and Loma Linda, but up for Temecula Valley and Palomar.

At Temecula Valley Hospital and Palomar Medical Center Escondido, there were an average of about six and 12 more coronavirus patients, respectively, in the week leading up to the data release, while there were about nine and 10 fewer at Southwest Healthcare System and Loma Linda University Medical Center, respectively.

Hospitals are continuing to push the limits of ICU space as well, with averages of 26.3 out of 28.4 ICU beds used at Temecula Valley Hospital, 36.6 out of 36.6 at Southwest Healthcare System, 19.4 out of 27 at Loma Linda University Medical Center Murrieta and 38.4 out of 42.1 at Palomar Medical Center Escondido.

The state is officially reporting the 11-county Southern California region’s available ICU capacity at 0%; while the recent data show ICUs not quite at full capacity, state officials and healthcare professionals have said over the course of the pandemic that available staff also play a role in determining ICU space.

Here is a more detailed look at some of the most recent HHS data on local hospitals:

Loma Linda University Medical Center Murrieta

Total beds (7-day average): 174.7 (164 last week)

Total inpatient beds used (7-day average): 156.1 (128 last week)

Total adults hospitalized, confirmed COVID-19 positive (7-day average): 78.6 (88.7 last week)

ICU beds (7-day average): 27 (18 last week)

ICU beds used (7-day average): 19.4 (16.9 last week)

Southwest Healthcare System (Inland Valley and Rancho Springs medical centers)

Total beds (7-day average): 250.4 (251.7 last week)

Total inpatient beds used (7-day average): 244.9 (236.4 last week)

Total adults hospitalized, confirmed COVID-19 positive (7-day average): 126 (137 last week)

ICU beds (7-day average): 36.6 (39.4 last week)

ICU beds used (7-day average): 36.6 (38.6 last week)

Temecula Valley Hospital

Total beds (7-day average): 161.9 (161.6 last week)

Total inpatient beds used (7-day average): 144.1 (145 last week)

Total adults hospitalized, confirmed COVID-19 positive (7-day average): 82 (76.6 last week)

ICU beds (7-day average): 28 (28.4 last week)

ICU beds used (7-day average): 26.3 (27.6 last week)

Palomar Medical Center Escondido

Total beds (7-day average): 398.1 (392 last week)

Total inpatient beds used (7-day average): 293.1 (280.1 last week)

Total adults hospitalized, confirmed COVID-19 positive (7-day average): 155.6 (143. 7 last week)

ICU beds (7-day average): 42.1 (36.3 last week)

ICU beds used (7-day average): 38.4 (35.7 last week)

Will Fritz can be reached by email at [email protected].