COVID-19 patients now make up minuscule percentage of hospitalizations region

Coronavirus hospitalizations in southwestern Riverside and northern San Diego counties have now dropped to such a level that COVID-19-positive patients make up less than 10% of hospitalizations at most local medical facilities.

The data, based on statistics from hospitals across the nation for the seven days preceding March 5, show individuals with COVID-19 now make up 4% of patients at Temecula Valley Hospital, 6% of those at Southwest Healthcare System, which includes Inland Valley and Rancho Springs medical centers in Wildomar and Murrieta, respectively, 11% of those at Loma Linda University Medical Center Murrieta and 8% of those at Palomar Medical Center Escondido, the closest San Diego County hospital to Fallbrook.

Those percentages are down sharply from January, when many Riverside and San Diego county hospitals were overrun with COVID-19 cases – more than two-thirds of patients at Loma Linda University Medical Center, for example, were COVID-19-positive in early January.

In that March 15 data release, Palomar Medical Center Escondido had the largest actual number of coronavirus patients, with about 20, but Palomar is a much larger hospital than any of those in southwest Riverside County, so the number of patients does not translate to a higher percentage of COVID-19 hospitalizations.

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

Temecula Valley Hospital

Total beds (Seven-day average): 133.4 (138.7 last week)

Total inpatient beds used (Seven-day average): 118.1 (129.0 last week)

Total adults hospitalized, confirmed COVID-19 positive (Seven-day average): 4.7 (12.4 last week)

ICU beds (Seven-day average): 18.9 (20.1 last week)

ICU beds used (Seven-day average): 16.3 (18.7 last week)

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

Total beds (Seven-day average): 214.9 (210.7 last week)

Total inpatient beds used (Seven-day average): 203 (200.9 last week)

Total adults hospitalized, confirmed COVID-19 positive (Seven-day average): 10 (20.4 last week)

ICU beds (Seven-day average): 26.1 (25.6 last week)

ICU beds used (Seven-day average): 20.4 (23.0 last week)

Loma Linda University Medical Center Murrieta

Total beds (Seven-day average): 151 (145 last week)

Total inpatient beds used (Seven-day average): 134.3 (131.6 last week)

Total adults hospitalized, confirmed COVID-19 positive (Seven-day average): 15.4 (14.6 last week)

ICU beds (Seven-day average): 20.3 (same as last week)

ICU beds used (Seven-day average): 14.3 (17.0 last week)

Palomar Medical Center Escondido

Total beds (Seven-day average): 392 (392.7 last week)

Total inpatient beds used (Seven-day average): 258.3 (269.1 last week)

Total adults hospitalized, confirmed COVID-19 positive (Seven-day average): 20.4 (32.9 last week)

ICU beds (Seven-day average): 36 (36.7 last week)

ICU beds used (Seven-day average): 26.3 (35 last week)

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