How is coronavirus affecting different age groups in SLO County? Here’s a look at hospitalizations
San Luis Obispo County has seen a drastic surge in coronavirus cases, yet hospitalization rates have remained consistently low throughout the pandemic.
There have never been more than 17 COVID-19 patients in local hospitals at once, according to data from the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department. That peak occurred in August.
As of Monday, 12 people were hospitalized here due to COVID-19.
“An important metric, though not measured at this time by the state, remains our hospitalizations, which in this county continue to be relatively low,” county Public Health officer Dr. Penny Borenstein said at a Nov. 18 news briefing.
The low hospitalization rate, in part, has to do with who has been contracting coronavirus.
Locally, the age group with the highest number of COVID-19 cases — 18 to 29 — has one of the lowest hospitalization rates.
In contrast, the age group with the fewest number of local cases — people who are 85 or older — has the highest percentage of hospitalizations, according to ReadySLO.org.
Since Oct. 31, the number of cases in the 18-to-29 age group has increased 59%, county data show. Meanwhile, the number of cases in the 85-and-older age group increased 22% in that same time frame.
A surge in cases among Cal Poly students both living on and off campus contributed largely to the rise in young adult coronavirus case numbers. However, cases across the county have risen significantly in recent weeks, according to county data.
As of Monday, a total of 5,811 SLO County residents have tested positive for coronavirus since March. Of those, 239 needed to be hospitalized and 35 died due to COVID-19.
Mirroring data across the nation, the severity of illness related to the virus in San Luis Obispo County significantly increases with age.
San Luis Obispo County doesn’t have data on the number of positive cases that are asymptomatic. However, Borenstein said Nov. 11 that many coronavirus cases in the county have been mild or asymptomatic.
San Luis Obispo County public information officer Whitney Szentesi said the county believes the low hospitalization rates are the result of mild to moderate disease in the community as well as the county Public Health Department’s quick response to outbreaks in vulnerable and congregate care communities.
Yet, with any rise in cases, the risk of increased hospitalizations rises as well.
“As has been the case in many communities, as the cases go (up), often you see the trailing increase in hospitalizations, as well as fatalities,” Borenstein said Nov. 11. “We have not had that experience; it doesn’t mean that we won’t.”
One concern related to high case rates among younger, healthier populations is the potential for people to unknowingly spread the virus to more vulnerable populations, the county Public Health Department also wrote in a statement to The Tribune. The spread among younger people also affects the county’s tier assignment.
“We also know that our younger residents care about our community, and their contributions to our local case count can mean more disruption to businesses and schools,” Szentesi wrote in an email to The Tribune on Monday. “As COVID-19 continues to spread across SLO County and the state, we all must remain vigilant regardless of age.”
Nearly 40% of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in San Luis Obispo County are in the 18-to-29 age group, according to county data. However, that age group only makes up about 8% of the total COVID-19 hospitalizations in the county.
Only 19 of the 2,323 COVID-19 positive people in the 18-to-29 age group have been hospitalized due to coronavirus. That’s less than 1%.
In comparison, people 85 years and older make up 1.4% of coronavirus cases locally and 10% of total hospitalizations in San Luis Obispo County, according to county data.
Nearly 30% of people in the 85-or-older age group needed to be hospitalized — 24, out of a total of 82.
Here’s how each age groups fares in terms of hospitalizations:
- 0 to 17: Less than 1% of the 524 coronavirus-positive minors have been hospitalized. They make up 9% of San Luis obispo County cases and about 1.7% of the hospitalizations. There have been no COVID-19 deaths in this age group.
- 18 to 29: Less than 1% of the 2,323 COVID-19 positive 18- to 29-year-olds have been hospitalized. They make up nearly 40% of county cases and about 8% of the hospitalizations. There have been no COVID-19 deaths in this age group.
- 30 to 49: About 3.9% of the 1,604 positive cases in this age range have been hospitalized. They make up around 27.6% of San Luis Obispo County coronavirus cases and about 25.9% of the hospitalizations. Three people in this age range have died due to COVID-19.
50 to 64: Around 6% of the 880 positive cases in this age range have been hospitalized. They make up around 15.1% of county COVID-19 cases and about 22.2% of the hospitalizations. Four people in this age range have died due to COVID-19.
65-84: Roughly 19.4% of the 397 positive cases in this age range have been hospitalized. They make up around 6.8% of San Luis Obispo County cases and about 32.2% of the hospitalizations. Seven people in this age range have died due to COVID-19.
85+: About 29.3% of the 82 positive cases in this age range have been hospitalized. They make up around 1.4% of county cases and about 10% of the hospitalizations. A total of 21 people in this age range have died due to COVID-19.
According to Szentesi, about 99% of people who tested positive in San Luis Obispo County have either recovered or are recovering at home.
This story was originally published November 24, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
