Curve Flattened – No COVID Deaths in Schuylkill County in a Month

We’ve gone more than a month without a COVID-19 death in Schuylkill County.

Even as the cumulative total of confirmed cases of the China virus pushes toward 1,000, it certainly appears the curve has flattened here.

No COVID Deaths in a Month in Schuylkill County

Sadly, 51 Schuylkill County residents have died after contracting COVID-19. But it’s been a while since we’ve lost one of our residents to the pandemic disease.

The last death blamed on the virus happened back on Aug. 5. And this past month is the second month-long stretch of no deaths blamed on COVID-19 in Schuylkill County.

In fact, there have only been 7 COVID deaths in Schuylkill County dating back to June 3. The time between June 3 and July 2 was another month’s time without a death here, too.

And it’s not just COVID deaths that have flattened here. The number of coronavirus cases in Schuylkill County have bottomed out.

July 27 was the last day when a double-digit case total was added to the local tally of cumulative cases of the disease. And there have only been 4 days in the last month with more than a handful of new cases confirmed or determined to be “probable” in Schuylkill County.

The first case of COVID-19 in Schuylkill County was reported back on March 21. Sunday was the 169th day since the first case was reported. That’s an average of about 6 new cases of coronavirus per day since the first case was reported.

57% of Schuylkill County COVID Deaths Happened in Long Term Care Facilities

According to Pennsylvania Dept. of Health data, 236 cases of coronavirus are among residents or staff of long term care facilities operating in Schuylkill County. That represents 23.3% of all cases either confirmed or deemed probable locally.

The contagious disease has also taken a fatal toll on nursing home residents in Schuylkill County. A total of 29 LTCF residents in Schuylkill County have died after contracting COVID-19. That figure represents about 57% of all the COVID deaths locally.

This is slightly less than the percentage of COVID deaths statewide linked to nursing homes and other long term care facilities.

A federal investigation was launched recently to determine why Pennsylvania acted as very few states did in sending COVID-positive patients from hospitals back to nursing homes, especially facilities that couldn’t adequately quarantine those COVID patients from the rest of the nursing home’s population.

We Flattened the Curve … All of Them

The main reason we were convinced the right way to react to the coronavirus outbreak back in March was to shut down businesses and basically bring normal life to a halt was to prevent overcrowding at local hospitals.

In Schuylkill County, hospitals were never near getting overcrowded with COVID patients. And they’re definitely not now.

As of Sept. 6, just 1 local person was in the hospital getting treated for COVID symptoms. And no ventilators are in use.

Truly, the curve in Schuylkill County has flattened. And that goes for just about any curve you can throw.

New cases? Relatively flat.

COVID deaths? Flattened.

Hospitalizations? Flattened.

The Moving Goalposts

So, if deaths have stopped, hospitalizations are nearly at zero and very few new cases to report daily, why are we still acting out the panic part of the pandemic?

Since the start of the pandemic – after that 15 days and then 30 days to slow the spread of the disease – the goalposts kept getting moved here in Pennsylvania.

Now, instead of lightening the load on hospitals, the pandemic response to be about everything but that.

ALSO READ: 

• Proposed Schuylkill Prison HVAC System Meant to Mitigate COVID Spread
• Schuylkill League Bans Away Fans from Fall High School Sports Events
• Williams Valley Says 2 Students are COVID Positive – Football Game Canceled

Image: License purchased via Depositphotos.com

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