Editor’s Note: We are standardizing the format for daily COVID-19 case data updates. These articles may feel repetitious but we want each one to stand alone in terms of providing maximum context around the data. This is the update for Thursday, April 29.
The number of new COVID-19 cases over the last 14 days per 100,000 residents is currently at 565 for Lebanon County.
In terms of relative comparisons, the current figure of 565 new COVID-19 cases over the last 14 days per 100,000 residents is 33% higher than Lebanon County’s figures one month ago and 19% higher compared to 14 days ago.
The positive rate was 12% in May, 9% in June, 5.4% in July, 4.3% in August, 8.2% in September, 16.9% in October, 26.7% in November, 45.0% in December, 41.0% in January, 23.5% in February, and 25.6% in March. The April positive rate is 33.7% as of today.
In terms of raw numbers, Lebanon County is now tracking at 15,313 cases of the novel coronavirus, according to current Pennsylvania Department of Health data, with 49,090 negative tests and 280 deaths. (All figures in this article are based on DOH data unless otherwise noted.)
Calculated as a percentage of confirmed cases, coronavirus currently has a mortality rate of 1.8% in Lebanon County – although due to still-limited testing as well as the occurrence of asymptomatic/undetected cases, the actual mortality rate may be lower than that. The mortality rate is however much higher in nursing homes and in general the virus should still be considered as extremely dangerous, especially for people with existing conditions. Department of Health data indicates that only 37% of death records did not include comorbidity data, with the additional caveat that “medical certifiers often underreport comorbidity data.” Dementia, hypertension, diabetes, and coronary conditions are top comorbidities in the state.
The Department of Health reports a total “recovered” percentage as part of its daily updates. A person is considered recovered if a case has not been reported as a death after more than 30 days past the date of the first positive test or the onset of symptoms. At present, the state says 88% of cases are considered recovered.
Daily new cases over last 14 days per 100,000 residents
Read More: Spotlight PA’s statewide coronavirus tracker
For additional context, the southcentral region is currently at 415, Lancaster County is at 427, Philadelphia County is at 483, and the state overall is at 418.
The southcentral region includes Adams, Bedford, Blair, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lebanon, Mifflin, Perry, and York counties.
2,022 of the Lebanon County cases are probable cases. Probable cases are primarily based on designations made by healthcare providers based on symptoms and known exposures. See more about probable cases in our FAQ below.
Daily new cases and negative results as 7-day trailing average
Positive test rate as 7-day trailing average
The Department of Health is reporting 280 deaths as of today.
Daily new cases as 7-day trailing average
The state began breaking cases out by ZIP code in mid-April 2020. See below for how cases looked across Lebanon County ZIP codes as of the last time the data was updated.
- 17003 (Annville) – 867 positive, 3,412 negative, 130 probable
- 17010 (Campbelltown) – 18 positive, 58 negative, 1-4 probable (redacted)
- 17016 (Cornwall) – 55 positive, 286 negative, 18 probable
- 17026 (Fredericksburg) – 264 positive, 976 negative, 42 probable
- 17028 (Grantville) – 242 positive, 934 negative, 29 probable
- 17038 (Jonestown) – 732 positive, 2,174 negative, 126 probable
- 17041 (Lawn) – Five positive, 28 negative, 1-4 probable (redacted)
- 17042 (Lebanon) – 4,178 positive, 15,333 negative, 646 probable
- 17046 (Lebanon) – 3,373 positive, 11,083 negative, 463 probable
- 17064 (Mount Gretna) – 68 positive, 326 negative, seven probable
- 17067 (Myerstown) – 1,210 positive, 3,819 negative, 192 probable
- 17073 (Newmanstown) – 429 positive, 1,362 negative, 81 probable
- 17078 (Palmyra) – 1,681 positive, 7,800 negative, 207 probable
- 17087 (Richland) – 232 positive, 650 negative, 39 probable
- 17545 (Manheim) – 1,812 positive, 6,907 negative, 211 probable
- 17963 (Pine Grove) – 626 positive, 2,245 negative, 81 probable
- 19551 (Robesonia) – 342 positive, 1,241 negative, 139 probable
- 19567 (Womelsdorf) – 448 positive, 1,401 negative, 117 probable
The share of cases linked to nursing homes climbed steadily through earlier stages of the pandemic, currently registering at approximately 1 out of every 7 cases being a nursing home resident or staff member. According to DOH data from 2017, Lebanon County is among the Pennsylvania counties with the highest number of nursing home beds per capita and the highest nursing home occupancy rates.
Deaths from COVID-19 occur at a far higher rate in nursing home residents than among the general population, with these deaths comprising the majority of overall deaths linked to the novel coronavirus in Lebanon County.
Percentage of COVID-19 cases linked to nursing homes
Percentage of COVID-19 deaths linked to nursing homes
As of Thursday, April 29, the state was reporting COVID-19 cases at 26 nursing homes or personal care facility in the county, with 858 cases among residents and 159 cases among employees. According to DOH data, there have been 137 coronavirus-linked deaths at Lebanon County nursing homes or personal care facilities to date.
As of mid-April, WellSpan Health has made available a dashboard showing hospital-specific data. Currently there are 17 confirmed acute inpatient COVID-19 cases at WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital.
WellSpan Good Sam in-patient census
WellSpan Good Sam in-patient census as Percentage of 14 day new cases
According to WellSpan data, 126 deaths have occurred at WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital as a result of coronavirus. WellSpan notes that this information is not based on patient residency and therefore may differ from DOH statistics.
The Department of Veterans Affairs also makes some information available regarding treatment of coronavirus at its facilities. As of today, the Lebanon VA Medical Center is providing care to 54 people who tested positive for COVID-19 as “active cases,” 52 veterans, one employee, and one veteran-employee. Active cases are defined as patients tested or treated at a VA facility for known or probable COVID-19 who have neither died nor reached convalescent status, which is itself defined as patients who are “either post-hospital discharge, or 14 days after their last positive test, whichever comes later.” 1,845 additional people (1,625 veterans, 205 employees, six veteran-employees, and nine other people) are considered convalescent cases at present. The facility has recorded 119 known deaths from the virus. These figures include residents of the VA’s long-term care Community Living Centers.
Additional Charts
Here’s how Lebanon County’s confirmed case count has grown since the pandemic began.
Here’s how confirmed cases compare to overall tests in Lebanon County.
Here’s how the daily number of new cases in Lebanon County looks.
Here’s how that looks when negative tests are included.
Here is a chart that shows an estimated mortality rate based on a thirty day recovery period from the time of the state receiving a positive test result.
Relative Comparisons
Here’s how Lebanon County compares to other counties, as well as the region and state, across three main metrics.
Postive Cases as Percent of Overall Population
Overall Tests as Percent of Overall Population
Positive Cases as Percent of Overall Tests
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are COVID-19 cases occurring in Lebanon County?
The state began releasing ZIP-level date on April 20 and intends to update this dataset daily. We now include it in the main update above. Some ZIP codes are missing at this point and the DOH says they are working on including them. Previously, the DOH had declined to share ZIP code level data, citing HIPAA concerns. LebTown editorialized on this issue and questioned the applicability of HIPAA in this regard. In April the state also presented counties with an offer for specific addresses (but not names) of COVID-19 patients to be shared with 911 centers, but Lebanon County has declined so far to enter that agreement, citing concerns shared by the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania that the agreement exposes the county to undue liability. Lancaster Newspapers has reported that the Lancaster County Commissioners share this view as well. In any event, that agreement, if ratified, would prevent county officials from sharing the data with the public.
How does Lebanon County look compared to other counties?
This is a complicated question and there’s no one answer to it. In our primary daily update, we track a few specific ratios:
- Postive Cases as Percent of Overall Population
- Overall Tests as Percent of Overall Population
- Positive Cases as Percent of Overall Tests
In general, Lebanon County will be doing well if we can continue to increase #2 while holding steady with #1. In that scenario, #3 would necessarily go down.
How does the state define a COVID-19 case?
Initially cases were only listed by the state if a positive test had been recorded. In April, the state began including probable cases as well. Here is how the state defines probable cases:
- Appropriate symptoms of COVID-19 and exposed to a high-risk scenario
- A positive antibody test and either symptoms or a high-risk exposure
- A fatal case with no known test result, but COVID-19 named as either the primary or a contributing cause of death
Probable cases were counted in the overall death count for some time, but the DOH reversed course on that decision. Additionally, positive antibody, or serology, tests are also being counted towards the positive case count. The state does not include negative antibody tests in its negative case data.
“The most common explanation for (probable cases) is the spouse of someone who tested positive,” said DOH spokesperson Nate Wardle in an email to LebTown. “As someone who would be a caregiver for someone who tested positive, if they were to develop symptoms they would likely not need to be tested, and would be considered a probable case.”
Probable cases can also include positive antibody tests, but antibody tests comprise just 34% of overall statewide probable cases and in Lebanon County, neither WellSpan Health, Lebanon Veterans Affairs Medical Center, nor UPMC Pinnacle are actively conducting antibody testing at this time, with Quest Diagnostics being the only firm known to offer this type of testing at present. Tests could however be performed on Lebanon County residents at facilities outside of the county and show up on state data, which is based on county of residence.
Read More: Pa. is mixing coronavirus test results, and that could distort our view of the disease
How many tests have been done in Lebanon County?
This is a complicated question. The state does not track, at least publicly, the total number of outstanding tests at the county level. WellSpan Health began disclosing hospital-specific data related to COVID-19 testing and treatment on April 22 and we include this information in our daily update above. One complication here is that just because a test was administered in a specific county, does not mean that the person who received the test resides in that same county. However the state has recently added the number of negative tests to its county-level data. By adding the negative tests number with the total cases number, we can estimate the total number of tests taken by Lebanon County residents, although this figure should be seen as a proxy and not an absolute or highly precise measure.
How many people have recovered from COVID-19?
The state began reporting a recovery count in late May and we have begun including this figure in our daily tracker updates.
How can Lebanon County and the Department of Health have two different numbers for COVID-19 deaths?
The Department of Health has said that fatal cases which are not reported through the state’s electronic system may not be captured in the official counts. Likewise, cases reported directly to the state may not also be reported to the county coroner. Read more on this subject in our article with Lebanon County Coroner Dr. Jeffery Yocum here. Additionally, the state and county have different criteria for registering a death – the state counts a death if the deceased tested positive for COVID-19 at the time of their death, whereas the county counts a death if COVID-19 symptoms were the primary cause of death.
How did you select which ZIP codes to list?
Some local ZIP codes include land in other counties as well as in Lebanon County. To be comprehensive we have included any ZIP code that falls even partly inside county lines. Note that Ono (17077), Quentin (17083), Rexmont (17085), and Schaefferstown (17088) are still not present in the source data.
Read all of LebTown’s COVID-19 coverage here.
Access LebTown’s comprehensive COVID-19 resource guide here.
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Full Disclosure: WellSpan Health is an advertiser on LebTown. LebTown does not make editorial decisions based on advertising relationships and advertisers do not receive special editorial treatment. Learn more about advertising with LebTown here.