Data change increases Allegheny County virus death count by 13

Allegheny County’s health department on Thursday said there was a change in how it received certain data over the weekend, which caused information about COVID-19 cases that was previously excluded from the count to be reflected in the latest figures.

The change resulted in a spike in deaths, which brings the county’s numbers more in line with the state’s. The county is now reporting 165 deaths, an increase of 13 deaths over the previous day and nearer the total number — 166 — that Pennsylvania’s Department of Health reported Thursday.

Of the 13 new deaths reported by the county, it said, “all but one appear to be linked to long-term care facilities” and that they died between May 8 and 25. The victims’ ages range from 57 to 90. The county said 12 of them are listed as confirmed deaths from COVID-19 and one is listed as probable.

Of the county’s total number of deaths, 153 are confirmed and 12 are probable.

The county said it has had 1,965 cases of the respiratory disease, which is an increase of 13 over Wednesday. Of the cases, 1,841 are confirmed and 124 are probable.

There was one other death — in Mercer County — reported in Western Pennsylvania. Mercer now has six deaths due to COVID19 and has reported 110 positive cases.

Allegheny County and much of southwestern Pennsylvania moves into the green phase Friday, and state and county officials said Wednesday that efforts should continue to mitigate the spread of the viral disease.

The state on Thursday reported 75 new COVID-19 deaths and 537 new cases. Pennsylvania has had 25 straight days in which it has reported fewer than 1,000 daily cases. The state has reported a total of 73,942 positive cases. The new deaths increase the statewide total to 5,817.

Dr. Donald Yealy, chair of emergency medicine at UPMC, said at the Pittsburgh-based health system’s Thursday media briefing that the network had discharged

more than 500 COVID-19 patients since the beginning of the pandemic.

Indications say the virus is becoming less prevalent, and the amount of virus seen in positive cases “is much less than in earlier stages of the pandemic,” resulting in fewer patients needing ventilator support to help with their breathing.

Of the nearly 30,000 tests for coronavirus UPMC has done, less than 4% have been positive. And, based on tests done on consenting patients who don’t have symptoms, Dr. Yealy said the risk in our area of becoming infected by an asymptomatic person “is very small today.”

While seniors remain particularly vulnerable, Dr. David Nace, senior medical officer of UPMC’s senior communities, reported Thursday none of the more than 3,000 residents in UPMC-run facilities has been diagnosed with COVID-19. Statewide, about two-thirds of COVID-19 cases have occurred in longterm care facilities, he said.