Alarming statistics demand renewed vigilance to stay safe

OC HEALTH CARE AGENCY

Among adults, the risk for severe illness and death from COVID-19 increases with age, with older adults at highest risk. Severe illness means that the person with COVID-19 may require hospitalization, intensive care, or a ventilator to help them breathe, or they may die.

Recent statistics from the Orange County Health Care Agency show that the percentage of COVID-19 cases that result in fatalities in Orange County is high and increasing week by week. This is an alarming trend for the Leisure World community as the largest increase is in people aged 84-plus.

Sept. 14 data from the OC Health Care Agency showed cumulative deaths numbering 336, or 24 percent of cumulative 1,380 cases among those aged 85 and over. By comparison, the Oct. 10 data shows 423 cumulative deaths, or 28 percent of the 1,494 cumulative cases among those aged 85 and over. So for this age group, the number of deaths among people contracting COVID-19 is growing faster than the number of cases.

It is not going away, and it is getting more lethal.

Unfortunately, the same is true for those aged 75-84. As of Sept. 14, the cumulative deaths were 13.4 percent of cumulative cases, which increased to 15.1 percent as of Oct. 10. For those aged 65-74, the Sept. 14 data shows cumulative deaths of 7.2 percent, which increased to 8 percent as of Oct. 10. Finally, for those aged 55-64, the Sept. 14 data shows cumulative deaths of 2.6 percent, which increased to 2.9 percent as of Oct. 10. In all these age groups, the death rate is increasing faster than the rate of increase in cases.

Older people continue to be much more vulnerable to COVID-19 than their younger counterparts. As of Oct. 6, 85 percent of the COVID-19 deaths in Orange County were in the age 55 and older group. In the United States overall, the CDC reports that the greatest risk for severe illness from COVID-19 is among those aged 85 or older.

The rising numbers underscore the need to be vigilant about wearing masks, keeping a distance from non-family members and staying away from large gatherings.

By understanding the factors that put you at an increased risk, you can make decisions about what kind of precautions to take in your daily life.

The Orange County Health Care Agency tracks COVID-19 cases and fatalities week by week. The information is available at https://occovid19.ochealthinfo. com; click on “Case Counts.”

As of Oct. 12, the City of Seal Beach reported 283 total cases of COVID-19.