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Local continue showing declines in COVID-19 hospitalizations

Coronavirus hospitalizations are continuing their steep decline locally, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Feb. 14.

COVID-19-positive individuals are making up an increasingly small share of patients at local hospitals as the weeks go by – those with coronavirus now make up about a quarter of all hospitalizations at Southwest Riverside County health facilities, down from about a third in the data reported Feb. 7 and a significant drop from as many as two-thirds of all patients at at least one hospital during the month of January.

Data released on Feb. 14 by the HHS department showed 25% of patients at Temecula Valley Hospital were coronavirus-positive in the week before the report, as well as 26% at Southwest Healthcare System (which includes Inland Valley and Rancho Springs medical centers in Wildomar and Murrieta, respectively) and 29% at Loma Linda University Medical Center Murrieta, as well as 34% at Palomar Medical Center Escondido, the closest San Diego County hospital to Fallbrook.

Seven-day average counts of coronavirus patients at all three Southwest County health facilities deflated by as much as 22 patients at Southwest Healthcare System, and smaller amounts at Temecula Valley Hospital and Loma Linda University Medical Center Murrieta. The coronavirus patient count dropped by nearly 30 patients at Palomar Medical Center Escondido.

Temecula Valley Hospital and Southwest Healthcare System are still fairly close to the limits of ICU space, though Loma Linda University Medical Center Murrieta had a fair amount of breathing room – and it is worth noting that the data show the three Southwest County medical centers have all lowered their ICU space as the severity of the current pandemic wave has dropped. Palomar Medical Center Escondido did see an increase in ICU patients despite a drop in coronavirus patients.

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): 151.4 (169.9 last week)

Total inpatient beds used (7-day average): 132.6 (135.4 last week)

Total adults hospitalized, confirmed COVID-19 positive (7-day average): 32.7 (49 last week)

ICU beds (7-day average): 29.6 (30.6 last week)

ICU beds used (7-day average): 27 (27.1 last week)

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

Total beds (7-day average): 221.7 (235.7 last week)

Total inpatient beds used (7-day average): 209.6 (228.4 last week)

Total adults hospitalized, confirmed COVID-19 positive (7-day average): 47.4 (69.7 last week)

ICU beds (7-day average): 29.9 (30.1 last week)

ICU beds used (7-day average): 28.4 (27.9 last week)

Loma Linda University Medical Center Murrieta

Total beds (7-day average): 153.6 (151.4 last week)

Total inpatient beds used (7-day average): 131.9 (134.1 last week)

Total adults hospitalized, confirmed COVID-19 positive (7-day average): 40.3 (48.9 last week)

ICU beds (7-day average): 25.4 (28.1 last week)

ICU beds used (7-day average): 17.3 (19.4 last week)

Palomar Medical Center Escondido*

Data used last week for Palomar Medical Center Escondido was inaccurate; this story uses the correct data for both this week and the previous week.

Total beds (7-day average): 410.3 (293.7 last week)

Total inpatient beds used (7-day average): 306.3 (218.6 last week)

Total adults hospitalized, confirmed COVID-19 positive (7-day average): 103.7 (130.7 last week)

ICU beds (7-day average): 54.3 (39.4 last week)

ICU beds used (7-day average): 54.3 (39.4 last week)

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

 

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