Riverside County’s COVID hospitalizations fall further

The number of people hospitalized with a coronavirus infection in Riverside County fell further this week, along with the tally of active virus cases countywide, the Riverside University Health System said Friday.

A comparison of data over the last seven days showed that COVID-19 hospitalizations countywide were at 168, down from 180 a week ago, with 27 patients in the ICU, compared to 15 previously.

One month ago, 133 people were hospitalized throughout the county with a COVID infection, 12 of whom were ICU patients.

Among those hospitalized with a COVID diagnosis in July, 35% had been fully vaccinated with a SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic, and 2% had been partially vaccinated, according to county public health figures.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week announced revised guidance, dropping some measures previously recommended for states and localities, including asymptomatic testing and requiring that a person quarantine if exposed to someone with an infection. The changes do not make a distinction between vaccinated and unvaccinated.

RUHS said that the aggregate number of COVID cases recorded since the public health documentation period began in March 2020 is 684,429.

According to the agency, in the last 29 months, a total 6,635 deaths from virus-related complications have been recorded. The fatality count a week ago was 6,621.

The number of known active virus cases in the county, based on available data, is 4,692, compared to 5,141 a week ago. The active count is derived by subtracting deaths and recoveries from the current total — 684,429 — according to the county Executive Office. Verified patient recoveries countywide are now 672,832.

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