6 New COVID-19 Cases, 0 Deaths Reported in Pasadena; County Officials Link Fatalities to Hypertension, Diabetes

Pasadena reported six new COVID-19 cases on Thursday and saw a15th day with no new fatalities, authorities said.

A total of 2,260 infections and 111 deaths have been reported in the city since the start of the pandemic.

City health officials have noted a lowered level of infection lately, but have warned the public that the battle is far from over.

At Huntington Hospital, 36 patients were being treated for COVID-19, according to hospital data. Twelve tests were pending.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced 1,603 new detected infections and 57 additional fatalities.

L.A. County had documented a total of 227,346 known cases and 5,446 deaths.

About 92 percent of those who have died from the virus in the county had underlying health conditions, according to county health officials.

“Hypertension and diabetes are the most common underlying health conditions among people who died from COVID-19,” the L.A. County Department of Public Health said in a written statement. “Neurologic conditions and cardiovascular disease are also common.”

Of the county’s COVID-19 fatalities, nearly 3,000 had hypertension and more than 2,000 had diabetes, according to the statement. About 1,300 had neurological conditions and about 1,300 suffered from cardiovascular disease. Officials noted that a single patient can have more than one diagnosed condition.

“Although people over 65 years old make up the largest portion of people who died with underlying health conditions, younger people with underlying health conditions become seriously ill and die from the virus as well,” according to the statement.

Officials said 1,145 of the virus victims with underlying health conditions — or 24 percent — were between the ages of 41and 64, officials said. Roughly 3 percent of the victims — representing 151 fatalities — were between 18 and 45.

County health officials said 1,378 COVID-patients were hospitalized on Thursday, with 31 percent requiring treatment in intensive care units.

“The average length of stay for people who are hospitalized for COVID-19 has shown steady decline,” according to the county statement. “In early May, the average length of stay was a little over 10 days. In late July, the average length of stay had decreased to a little over 5 days. This may reflect improvements in treatment and a shift in the age distribution of hospitalized patients, with an increase in younger individuals.”

With more than 1.2 million tests administered countywide, the positivity rate remained at 10 percent.

Medical workers and first responders accounted for 13,120 infections in L.A. County and 82 deaths, officials said.

L.A. County Director of Public Health Barbara Ferrer urged everyone to adhere to social distancing guidelines and wear face coverings, particularly to help protect the more vulnerable members of society.

“I’m sure we all know many people with, and we ourselves may have, common health conditions that can contribute to more serious illness from COVID-19. These include people with obesity, hypertension, and diabetes,” said Ferrer.

“It is important to remember that many people with underlying health conditions go to work, are out shopping for groceries, and enjoy all our beautiful recreational spaces,” Ferrer added. “We can all help protect them from becoming infected by wearing cloth face coverings, distancing, and isolating and quarantining when needed. These actions protect all others, including people who are at increased risk — these actions save lives.”

State public health officials announced 5,920 new infections and 163 new deaths on Thursday, bringing the state totals to 644,751 deaths and 11,686 fatalities.

The state’s positivity rate over the past seven days was 6.6 percent. The 14-day rate was also 6.6 percent, the California Department of Public Health reported in a written statement.

More than 10.2 million tests had been administered in the state, officials said.

As of Thursday, Los Angeles County accounted for 35 percent of California’s COVID-19 cases, and 47 percent of reported fatalities.