Contact: Joe Martin
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PHC4 Releases New COVID-19 Hospitalization Data Including Mortality, Length of Stay, Mechanical Ventilator Use, County Rates, and a Special Report on Sepsis in Patients with COVID-19
Harrisburg, PA – April 28, 2021 – PHC4 has released COVID-19 hospitalization data for the seven-month period March 1, 2020 through September 30, 2020. During those months, there were 26,266 COVID-19 hospitalizations in Pennsylvania: 19,177 (73%) occurred from March through June, and 7,089 (27%) occurred from July through September. Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 between March and September spent a total of 230,973 days in the hospital. The average length of stay was 8.8 days.
The in-hospital mortality rate for patients hospitalized with COVID-19 during the period March through June was 16.3%. It was 9.3% for July through September. Overall, the in-hospital mortality rate was 14.5% between March and September. Rates of mechanical ventilation dropped from 15.7% (March to June) to 10.1% (July to September) for an overall rate of 14.2%.
âResults from todayâs release continue to provide important information about COVID-19,â said Joe Martin, PHC4âs Executive Director. âPHC4âs hospitalization data will be critical in fully understanding this pandemic as we move through the next few months,â added Martin.
According to the brief, there were 19.9 COVID-19 hospitalizations per 10,000 residents from March through September 2020. Hospitalization rates were statistically higher for older residents, especially ages 55 and older; male residents; Hispanic residents; Black, non-Hispanic residents; and residents living in high poverty areas (where 25% or more of the population lives in poverty).
In-hospital mortality rates were statistically higher for older patients, especially ages 65 and older; male patients; and White, non-Hispanic patients.
The average hospital stay was statistically longer for patients ages 55 to 74; male patients; and Black, non-Hispanic patients.
Rates of mechanical ventilator use were statistically higher for patients ages 55 to 84; male patients; Asian, non-Hispanic patients; and Black, non-Hispanic patients.
The release of these new findings includes a special look at how sepsisâa life threatening conditionâaffected 30.5% of patients with COVID-19 during this time period.
Among patients hospitalized with COVID-19, those ages 65 to 84; Asian, non-Hispanic patients; and Black, non-Hispanic patients had statistically higher rates of sepsis compared to the rest of the state.
Patients who had COVID-19 and sepsis had higher in-hospital mortality rates (30.5%, compared to 7.6% for patients with COVID-19 that did not have sepsis) and stayed in the hospital longer (an average of 12.5 days, compared to an average of 7.2 for patients with COVID-19 that did not have sepsis), with a higher percentage (33.0%) needing mechanical ventilation, compared to 5.9% for patients with COVID-19 who did not have sepsis.
Findings from todayâs release are available on PHC4âs website at www.phc4.org. Results about in-hospital mortality, length of stay, and mechanical ventilator use, as well as county-specific rates are presented for data March through June 2020, July through September 2020, and cumulative data March through September 2020. Findings about patients with COVID-19 and sepsis are shown for cumulative data March through September 2020.
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PHC4 is an independent state agency charged with collecting, analyzing and reporting information that can be used to improve the quality and restrain the cost of health care in Pennsylvania.
