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As a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic continues to strike New Jersey, the state’s top health official noted Monday that while cases and deaths increase, hospitalizations have leveled off.
The reason, said Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli, may be because more than 50% of recent cases of the condition are asymptomatic.
“What’s interesting is that our cases are increasing and our mortalities are increasing, but our hospitalizations are not,” Persichilli told reporters Monday morning before a vaccination at the Roosevelt Care Center in Old Bridge. “Hospitalizations remain fairly stable.”
“I think it still affects the elderly,” she added. “Almost 60% of our deaths are elderly. It may therefore be more transmissible, more asymptomatic. That’s over 50% now asymptomatic transmissions. Asymptomatic transmitters may be affecting older and vulnerable adults, and that’s what ends up in hospitals, and mortality is significant.
Persichilli did not elaborate on the data.
CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracking | Bulletin | Home page
New Jersey on Monday reported 3,511 more confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 23 more deaths as the state continues to face increases after the holidays. The latest seven-day moving average for the status of new cases is 5,148.
There were 3,432 hospital patients with confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 at 71 hospitals across the state as of Sunday evening. That’s a minimum of six weeks and 313 fewer patients than the night before.
Gov. Phil Murphy has repeatedly said that a key goal is to ensure hospitals are not overrun with coronavirus patients. He warned last week he would likely order more restrictions if hospitalizations exceed 5,000 patients.
Meanwhile, the statewide transmission rate was 1.12 for the third day in a row. A transmission rate greater than 1 indicates that the epidemic is expanding.
Broken down by age, 30-49 year olds represent the highest percentage of New Jersey residents who have contracted the virus (31.2%), followed by 50-64 year olds (23.7%), 18-29 (19 , 3%), 65 -79 (11.1%), 5-17 (7.5%), 80 years and over (5.4%) and 0-4 (1.6%).
On average, the virus has been deadlier for older residents, especially those with pre-existing conditions. Almost half of the deaths from COVID-19 in the state were among residents aged 80 and over (47%), followed by 65-79 (33%), 50-64 (15.6%) , 30-49 (4%), 18-29 (0.4%), 5-17 (0%) and 0-4 (0%).
At least 7,644 of COVID-19 deaths in the state have occurred among residents and staff of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.
The numbers come as the state continues to administer coronavirus vaccines, although demand far exceeds supply.
Last week, New Jersey expanded vaccine eligibility to people 65 and older, residents with certain health conditions, and smokers. But it created a backlog of appointments, with state officials criticizing the federal government for failing to keep its promise to deliver more doses.
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Brent Johnson can be reached at [email protected].
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