Hospitalizations for covid in Allegheny County rise behind rising number of cases

The average weekly number of hospitalizations for covid-19 in Allegheny County has nearly doubled over the past month, according to data from the state’s Department of Health, as those numbers begin to rise to match the increase in the number of cases.

The average seven-day hospitalizations on July 3 in Allegheny County was 30. As of Wednesday, that average was just over 60.

The state’s real-time data dashboard showed 72 covid patients hospitalized in Allegheny County as of Wednesday afternoon. Nineteen of them were in an intensive care unit.

Dr Debra Bogen, director of the county health department, said in a briefing Wednesday that the majority of hospital patients are people who are not vaccinated.

After weeks of low case counts and positivity rates as vaccines became widely available, Allegheny County is again averaging more than 100 cases per day. Pennsylvania as a whole has an average of over 1,000.

Four weeks ago, the statewide daily average was around 173.

In Allegheny County, the health service reported 268 new cases in the previous 48 hours. The percent positivity rate this week climbed to 3.7%, from 2.7% the week before.

Bogen said the official number of positive tests is probably only “the tip of the iceberg” as those who are vaccinated and contract the virus may have few or no symptoms and therefore not request testing.

“This late summer push is due to the delta variant,” Bogen said. She noted that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 66% of cases in this region are caused by the delta variant.

Although the county does not have concrete figures for breakthrough infections, figures from the company that conducts the county’s testing, Curative, indicate that about 20% of people who tested positive in the past 28 days have been vaccinated.

Bogen said an increase in positive tests in those vaccinated was not surprising.

“We expect to see more as the number of people vaccinated increases,” she said.

In Allegheny County, around 68% of residents are fully immunized.

Earlier this week, the county – and most of the surrounding counties – reached the level of “substantial transmission” as defined by the CDC. Achieving that level of community spread triggers the CDC’s updated guidelines to take effect: that is, everyone should hide inside, regardless of vaccination status.

Allegheny County Director Rich Fitzgerald said a county-level mask warrant was not being considered at this time.