Local hospitals showing marked declines in COVID-19 hospitalizations

Local hospitals are continuing to show declines in COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU patients, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, with the numbers as of Feb. 7 dropping substantially from those released the prior week.

While coronavirus-positive patients still make up an abnormally large share of patients at Southwest Riverside County and North San Diego County hospitals – after all, in a normal year in the past, the number of patients with COVID-19 would be zero – the coronavirus-positive share of hospitalizations is now close to one-third of all patients at Southwest County hospitals and a bit higher at Palomar Medical Center Escondido, the closest San Diego County hospital to Fallbrook. That’s down from as high as two-thirds at at least one hospital in January.

Data released on Feb. 7 by the HHS department showed 35% of patients at Temecula Valley Hospital were coronavirus-positive in the week before the report, as well as 32% at Southwest Healthcare System (which includes Inland Valley and Rancho Springs medical centers in Wildomar and Murrieta, respectively), 36% at Loma Linda University Medical Center Murrieta and 41% at Palomar Medical Center Escondido.

The three Southwest County health facilities’ counts of coronavirus hospitalizations dropped by more than 20 at Temecula Valley Hospital, more than 40 at Southwest Healthcare System and about 15 at Loma Linda University Medical Center between the Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 data dumps. Palomar Medical Center Escondido showed a massive decline in coronavirus patients, from an average 155.6 in the week prior to Jan. 31 all the way down to 26.6 in the week prior to Feb. 7.

Temecula Valley Hospital and Southwest Healthcare System are still fairly close to the limits of ICU space, however, though Loma Linda University Medical Center Murrieta and Palomar Medical Center Escondido had a decent amount of breathing room in their respective ICU capacities in the week before Feb. 7.

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

Temecula Valley Hospital

Total beds (7-day average): 169.9 (162.3 last week)

Total inpatient beds used (7-day average): 135.4 (143.6 last week)

Total adults hospitalized, confirmed COVID-19 positive (7-day average): 49 (73.3 last week)

ICU beds (7-day average): 30.6 (31.4 last week)

ICU beds used (7-day average): 27.1 (30.1 last week)

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

Total beds (7-day average): 235.7 (250.4 last week)

Total inpatient beds used (7-day average): 228.4 (245.6 last week)

Total adults hospitalized, confirmed COVID-19 positive (7-day average): 69.7 (111.4 last week)

ICU beds (7-day average): 30.1 (33.6 last week)

ICU beds used (7-day average): 27.9 (32 last week)

Loma Linda University Medical Center Murrieta

Total beds (7-day average): 151.4 (163.7 last week)

Total inpatient beds used (7-day average): 134.1 (147.6 last week)

Total adults hospitalized, confirmed COVID-19 positive (7-day average): 48.9 (64.1 last week)

ICU beds (7-day average): 28.1 (25 last week)

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

Palomar Medical Center Escondido

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

Total inpatient beds used (7-day average): 250.4 (293.1 last week)

Total adults hospitalized, confirmed COVID-19 positive (7-day average): 26.6 (155.6 last week)

ICU beds (7-day average): 36 (42.1 last week)

ICU beds used (7-day average): 33.4 (38.4 last week)

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