With a second wave of coronavirus pandemics continuing in New Jersey, the state’s top health official noted Monday that while the number of cases and deaths increased, hospitalizations collapsed.
The reason, state health commissioner Judith Persichilli said, may be because more than 50% of recent state cases are asymptomatic.
“The interesting thing is: our cases are increasing and our deaths are increasing, but our hospitalizations are not,” Persichilli told reporters Monday morning ahead of a vaccination event at the Roosevelt Care Center in Old Bridge. “Hospitalizations remain fairly stable.”
“I think it’s getting older people,” she added. ‘Nearly 60% of our deaths are elderly people. It may therefore be more communicable, more asymptomatic. It is now more than 50% asymptomatic broadcasts. Asymptomatic transmitters may affect older, vulnerable adults, and this is who ends up in hospitals, and the mortality rate is significant. ”
Persichilli did not elaborate on the data.
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New Jersey reported another 3,511 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 23 additional deaths on Monday as the state continues to handle the increases after the holiday. The state’s latest seven-day moving average of new business is 5,148.
As of Sunday night, there were 3,432 patients admitted to the hospital with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases. It is six weeks low and 313 fewer patients than the night before.
Government Phil Murphy has repeatedly said that an important goal is to ensure that hospitals are not overwhelmed with patients with coronavirus. He warned last week that he would likely order more restrictions if hospitalizations were above 5,000 patients.
Meanwhile, the shipping rate across the country for the third day was at 1.12. A transmission rate of more than 1 indicates that the outbreak is growing.
Degraded by age, those aged 30 to 49 form the largest percentage of New Jersey residents who contracted the virus (31.2%), followed by those aged 50-64 (23.7%), 18-29 (19 , 3%), 65 -79 (11.1%), 5-17 (7.5%), 80 and older (5.4%) and 0-4 (1.6%).
On average, the virus was more deadly to older residents, especially those with a pre-existing condition. Nearly half of COVID-19 deaths were among residents 80 and older (47%), followed by those 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 the COVID-19 deaths in the state were among residents and staff members at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.
The numbers come as the state continues to administer coronavirus vaccines, although demand is far higher than supply.
New Jersey last week expanded admissions to vaccines for adults 65 and older, residents with certain health conditions and smokers. But it has created a backlog of appointments, with government officials criticizing the federal government for not following the promise to deliver more doses.
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Brent Johnson can be reached at [email protected].