Elderly Care Facility (Photo – Etan J. Tal. file)
Most COVID-19 metrics, except for the sobering rise in deaths, are better than anticipated at this point in the post-holiday season and when compared to past winters.
By News Desk
The absence of a post winter holiday spike in cases and hospitalizations may reflect the new tools available to blunt the impact of COVID, and the preventative health measures taken by residents and workers.
Los Angeles County remains in the Medium Community level, with a case rate of 122 new cases per 100,000 people and a hospital admission rate of 11.9 per 100,000 people.
Yet despite these promising trendlines, some individuals are at significantly greater risk for serious outcomes should they become infected.
Hospitalization rates for people 80 and older are nearly three times higher than for people 65- to 79-years-old in Los Angeles County, according to the most recent 90-day data. And the death rate for people over 80 is nearly five times higher than that of people ages 65 to 79.
In addition, when compared to people ages 50 to 64, residents who are 65- to 79-years-old have hospitalization rates that are more than three times higher, and the number of deaths per 100,000 people is more than five times higher.
Residents who live in communities with high rates of poverty are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Their hospitalization and death rates are nearly double. Many are part of our essential workforce who, by the very nature of their jobs, are in close contact with other workers and customers, increasing their exposure to COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses, particularly during times of high community transmission.
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