ICU Hospitalizations Reach Record High In Prince George's County

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — Intensive Care Unit hospitalizations are now higher than ever in Prince George's. The county also saw its second-worst week of total hospitalizations. These challenges come after an encouraging stretch.

Last week's 3,053 cases are up 298 from the week prior, breaking the county's two-week streak of declining infections. The virus also killed 31 county residents last week, the Maryland Department of Health said.

Still, the incoming vaccines offer residents some hope as the state ramps up its immunization efforts. Here's a breakdown of the latest coronavirus metrics in Prince George's County

Vaccine Update

• Currently: 0.58 percent
• Trend: 0.4 percentage points

Vaccines are starting to trickle into Maryland. The state tallies the number of people who have gotten the immunization on this website.

The data are reported by area, not by county. Prince George's County is part of the National Capital Region, which also includes these places:

• Charles County
• Frederick County
• Montgomery County

So far, 13,879 people have gotten their first shot in this area. That's 0.58 percent of the population, and it's up 9,658 from last week.

It's going to be a while before the vaccine has widespread circulation. The rollout will happen in four phases: 1A, 1B, 2 and 3.

Medical frontliners will be the first to get the inoculation in stage 1A. First responders and folks in long-term care facilities are also at the top of the list.

This means residents and staff of nursing homes and assisted living centers will be included in the initial wave. Infections tend to spread rapidly in these congregate living spaces.

After the 800,000 people in group 1A are vaccinated, the state will enter phase 1B. This allows other high-risk residents to get their shots.

Marylanders with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic kidney disease or heart conditions can get vaccinated during this period. Adults living in other shared homes are the last residents eligible in this round.

Stage 2 opens the door to employees in critical fields. Marylanders working in education, child care, transit and utilities are among those eligible in the second portion of immunization.

The remaining residents can get the coronavirus inoculation in the third and final phase. For more information on Maryland's plan, click here.

Coronavirus Case Rate

• Currently: 46.89
• Trend: Up by 4.1

Health officials focus on several metrics to evaluate the coronavirus pandemic. The most frequently-used are the case rate, hospitalizations and percent positivity.

The case rate is a per-capita measure that makes it easy to compare places with different populations.

A jurisdiction's case rate is the average number of new coronavirus infections-per-day that it registers over a rolling week per 100,000 people.

As a barometer, Maryland health officials say expanded in-person classes are probably safe when the local case rate dips below 5. Prince George's County's case rate has jumped to 46.89 which is up 4.1 from this time last week.

The case rate hit an overall high of 53.62 on Dec. 10. Prince George's had a previous case rate high of 38.85 on May 7. It reached lows of 7.57 on July 2 and 9.96 on Sept. 25, but it's been an upward climb since then.

Hospitalizations

• Currently: 217
• Trend: Up by 12

Coronavirus-related hospitalizations are soaring. Hospitalizations are nearing their high of 244, set in the week of May 3, and they are still above their summertime lows.

The disease left 217 people hospitalized in Prince George's County in the last reported week. That's up 12 from the week prior, and it's the most since the county's peak. Hospitalizations hit an overall low of 44 in the week of Sept. 20.

ICU Hospitalizations

• Currently: 75
• Trend: Up by 10

Covid ActNow, a coronavirus statistics website, estimates that Prince George's County has 122 beds in the intensive care unit. Hospitals need to save some of these beds for emergencies that aren't related to coronavirus.

Last week, Prince George's had 75 patients in the ICU with the virus. That's up 10 from the week prior, and it's the most the county has ever seen. ICU hospitalizations hit a previous high of 69 in the week of May 3 and receded to 11 by the week of Aug. 2.

Positivity Rate

• Currently: 11.92 percent
• Trend: Up by 2.68 percentage points

The county's positivity rate fell slightly this week. This is the percentage of coronavirus tests that come back positive over a moving seven days. The statistic also measures whether an area has enough tests to identify most of its infections.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says a positivity rate of less than 5 percent demonstrates that a region has enough testing to control its outbreak. The Maryland Department of Health says hybrid learning should be safe when jurisdictions fall beneath this benchmark.

Prince George's County's positivity rate sits at 11.92 percent, which is 2.68 percentage points lower than last week. That's the highest clip since June 5.

The positivity rate is down from its May 2 high of 41.95 percent, but it's up from its Sept. 24 low of 3.46 percent.

Total Cases And Deaths

Prince George's County's 56,391 coronavirus infections are the most in the state. The virus is blamed for the death of 1,073 county residents.

RELATED:

• Hospitalizations Near May High As Vaccine Reaches Prince George's
• Indoor Dining Shut Down, Capacities Trimmed In Prince George's
• Hogan Activates National Guard To Distribute Coronavirus Vaccines
• PGCPS Delays Hybrid Classes; Classes Stay Online As Cases Spike
• More Coronavirus Regulations Hit Prince George's As Cases Soar

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