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Today, August 20, we are caring for 11 COVID positive inpatients at Mount Nittany Medical Center, ranging in age from 23 to 90. In July, we had 37 COVID positive admissions at the Medical Center with an average daily census of 6.
By comparison, in August, our total admissions of COVID positive patients to date is 39 and our average daily census of COVID positive inpatients is 12.
"In that last month, we have seen a steady increase in the number of people hospitalized for COVID at the Medical Center. Due to the uptick in COVID hospitalizations, we have taken additional steps in our pandemic response plan to adjust operations to meet the needs of the community, including rescheduling some elective surgical cases requiring an overnight admission. This step is essential to ensure that we are serving our COVID positive inpatients and those needing us for acute and surgical care.
The COVID vaccine is highly effective and our best defense against the transmission of COVID in our community. We have vaccinated more than 45,000 people in our community, and we strongly encourage everyone to receive it," said Dr. Tiffany Cabibbo, Chief Nursing Office and Executive Vice President, Patient Care Services, Mount Nittany Health.
"To register for the COVID-19 vaccine, please go to mountnittany.org/COVID and click "Sign up now" and complete the form at your convenience. You do not need to be a Mount Nittany Health patient to request a vaccine, and there is no out-of-pocket cost for the vaccine.
Recently, the Centers for Disease Control recommended that people whose immune systems are moderately to severely compromised receive an additional 3rd dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. People who meet the eligibility requirements and attest to the criteria may request an appointment from Mount Nittany Health for an additional 3rd dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at mountnittany.org/COVID. For patients 12-17 meeting the eligibility criteria, appointments can be made directly at our Mount Nittany Physician Group - Boalsburg – Pediatrics office at 814.466.7921.
We will continue to monitor CDC recommendations for additional doses to other groups.
As a reminder, the COVID-19 Delta variant is highly contagious and has been proven to spread easily. This is another reason why continuing to consistently follow additional COVID mitigation safety measures, including physical distancing, avoiding large groups, masking and frequent hand washing is essential and helps to significantly reduce your chance of being exposed to the virus or spreading it to others."
