Coronavirus hospitalizations dip even as cases climb in Fresno and nearby counties
The number of people hospitalized for treatment of serious confirmed COVID-19 infections in Fresno County and across the central San Joaquin Valley has retreated to levels not seen in almost a month.
But the volume of coronavirus patients in hospitals remains about double – or more – than in June, when California and its counties were reopening more segments of local businesses from an economic lockdown aimed at preventing transmission of the fast-spreading contagion.
The hospitalization data from the California Department of Public Health reflects cases as of Wednesday in Fresno, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced and Tulare counties, where the number of confirmed COVID-19 infections continues to rise.
On Thursday, local counties reported that testing had identified an additional 1,097 confirmed positive results across the region, as well as 19 more fatalities from the virus.
Fresno County, relying on data from the state health department, reported 346 new positive test results through Wednesday night. That brings the county to a cumulative total of 18,690 cases. Fresno County health officials are only reporting new fatalities on Tuesdays and Fridays, so the number of lives lost to COVID-19 in the count remained at 191.
While lagging in their ability to do as much contact tracing and medical evaluation as they would like, Fresno County health officials have confirmed 7,276 people have recovered from their infections, but suggest the number is likely far higher.
Regional report
Around neighboring Valley counties, Thursday updates included:
Madera County: 94 new cases, 2,853 to date; two additional deaths, 46 to date; 2,044 recovered.
Merced County: 337 new cases, 6,561 to date; 15 additional deaths, 89 to date; 3,973 recovered.
Tulare County: 204 new cases, 11,847 to date; no additional deaths, 205 to date; 10,352 recovered.
Kings County: 116 new cases, 5,243 to date; two additional deaths, 64 to date; 2,983 recovered. The figures include 1,906 cases connected with state prisons in Avenal and Corcoran.
Mariposa County: No new cases, 63 to date; no additional deaths, two to date; 58 recovered.
Just over 340,000 Valley residents – about 16% of the region’s population of more than 2.1 million – have been tested for COVID-19 in a little over five months, since the first confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus were reported in early March.
Of those tested, the number who were found to have been infected with the virus – whether they showed symptoms of the respiratory disease or not – is more than 45,250, or a little over 13% of the total tested.
To date, almost 600 people in the Valley have lost their lives to COVID 19.
As cases rise, hospitals in Fresno and the Valley continue to find themselves scrambling to care for the number of patients who have been admitted. Those include not only more than 530 confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients, but a full load of patients needing inpatient care for other illnesses, injuries or conditions requiring attention.
Some of the Valley’s largest hospitals also have doctors, nurses and other workers off the job, isolated or quarantined because they have either been exposed to someone infected with COVID-19 or have tested positive themselves:
Community Medical Centers, Fresno/Clovis: Between Community Regional Medical Center in downtown Fresno and Clovis Community Medical Center in Clovis, 129 workers are in quarantine, including 62 confirmed positive tests.
Saint Agnes Medical Center, Fresno: 79 personnel are in isolation, including 39 confirmed infections.
Kaweah Delta Medical Center, Visalia: 72 personnel are in isolation for either exposure or confirmed infections.
Hospitalizations
Confirmed COVID-19 cases represent 475 hospitalized patients across the Valley, including 89 being treated in intensive-care units. That’s the first time the Valleywide volume of hospitalized patients with confirmed infections has fallen below 500 since July 19.
In Fresno County, the number of confirmed coronavirus patients in hospitals dipped to 260, the lowest figure since July 17. That includes 57 patients in intensive care.
Fresno County health officials have stressed that while the average daily number of people hospitalized has trended slightly lower in recent days, they remain cautious because the number of new daily cases – which can precede illness requiring hospital care by five to seven days or more – continues to be elevated.
In Fresno County, an average of more than 312 new positive cases have been identified each day over the past two weeks.
This story was originally published August 13, 2020 at 5:06 PM.
