Rate Of Coronavirus Hospitalizations At Virtua Triples: Officials

The number of hospitalizations at Virtua due to the coronavirus are increasing rapidly, Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Reginald Blaber said this week.

His comments came the same day Gov. Phil Murphy said New Jersey was at the beginning stages of the second wave of the coronavirus. Read more here: Gov. Murphy: NJ’s Second Wave Of The Coronavirus Is Here

"At Virtua Health, we had an average of 20 to 30 COVID-positive patients across our five hospitals in late September,” Blaber told Patch in an email on Friday. “That number has since grown to 70-plus individuals in the last week of October. Each of our hospitals has a designated, isolated area for caring for COVID-19 patients. Should it prove necessary, we have developed surge plans that as much as double our standard ICU capacity.”

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A day earlier during a news conference with Rep. Donald Norcross (D-1) and Camden County Freeholder Jonathan Young, he said that the rate of coronavirus-related hospitalizations have tripled in the last few weeks.

“I ask that our neighbors in South Jersey remain vigilant in protecting themselves and one another from this virus so that health systems do not become overwhelmed in the weeks and months ahead,” Blaber said. “This means wearing a mask, practicing social distancing, and making smart decisions as to where, when, and how you interact with others.”

He said a different age group has been testing positive for the coronavirus recently. The average age of patients infected with the coronavirus who check into Virtua is now 40, as opposed to 60 years old, as it was earlier in the spring.

“Older folks are much more cautious, much more likely to be wearing masks, social distancing, not necessarily eating indoors, not going to parties,” Blaber said. “We’re protecting ourselves. Younger folks have not been as diligent in that regard.”

While hospitalizations are going up, the mortality rate is going down, Blaber said. Nationwide, the mortality rate is one-third of what it was in the spring.

“But people are still dying,” Blaber said. “If you’re not following the guidelines, you’re playing Russian Roulette with yourself and your family.”

He said there is still capacity at Virtua, both for coronavirus patients and patients who don’t have coronavirus. He said over the last eight months, Virtua has been able to set aside Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and surgical floors specifically for coronavirus patients, and separate floors for those who don’t have the coronavirus.

“What we found in the spring is that people who didn’t have COVID were afraid to go to the hospital,” Blaber said. “As a result, these people were having heart attacks and strokes at home, and not coming to the hospital. When they finally did come in, they were on death’s door. Even now, the level of illness in the ICU is higher than normal because people are still delaying care.”

He said it’s important for people to be know they can come to the hospital and not be exposed to the coronavirus, and it’s something Virtua is prepared to deal with in the long-term.

“We don’t know how long this is going to go on for,” Blaber said. “We are preparing for COVID for the long run, and we have to be prepared for two different populations.”

See more stories about New Jersey's coronavirus recovery.