Mount Nittany Health weekly COVID update (August 27, 2021)

August 27, 2021
COVID-19
5 min read

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Today, August 27, we are caring for 18 COVID positive inpatients at Mount Nittany Medical Center, ranging in age from 22 to 91.

In July, we had 37 COVID positive admissions at the Medical Center with an average daily census of 6. By comparison, in August, our average daily COVID positive inpatient census has increased significantly to 14 and our total admissions to date is 63.

"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. Additionally, as of August 25, we have revised our visitation policy, which can be found on our website. As an added measure, inpatients will also be asked to mask when a healthcare provider or other member of our staff enters their room.

The majority of people who have been hospitalized at the Medical Center for COVID are not fully vaccinated. The COVID vaccine – to include the recently FDA-approved Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine (Comirnaty) – 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. Upendra Thaker, Chief Medical Officer, Mount Nittany Health.

Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory committee on Immunization practices (ACIP) recommended that people whose immune systems are moderately to severely compromised receive an additional dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine at least 28 days after an initial two-dose mRNA series. Patients who meet the eligibility requirements and attest to the criteria may request an appointment for an additional 3rd dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at mountnittany.org/COVID.

As a reminder, Mount Nittany Health is offering the FDA-approved Pfizer vaccine (Comirnaty) to interested community members. 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. We will contact you with your appointment date and time.

Vaccines work with your immune system so your body will be ready to fight the virus if you are exposed. The Delta variant is highly contagious and has been proven to spread easily. This is another reason why continuing to consistently follow additional COVID safety measures, including social distancing, not meeting in 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. 

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