The majority of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in
New Jersey were actually admitted for reasons other than COVID-19, officials said on Jan. 10.
Of the 6,075 people with COVID-19 and hospitalized in the state, just 2,963 were admitted for COVID-19, New Jersey Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said during a briefing.
โWe have a fair number of what Iโve started to call COVID incidental, or incidental COVID, meaning you went in because you broke your leg, but everyoneโs getting tested and it turns out youโve got COVID. You didnโt even know it,โ Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, said. โMy wife didnโt know it and still sheโs not back in the in the game, but never had any symptoms, so there is a significant amount of that.โ
Previously during the pandemic, states largely neglected to distinguish COVID-19
hospitalizations from incidental COVID-19.
However, after large numbers of people began testing positive after the emergence of the Omicron variant, including those who have been vaccinatedโsome of whom have required hospital careโa growing number of officials have started making clear that not all COVID-19 hospitalizations are the same.
New York state for the first time reported last week its hospitalizations with COVID-19 versus its hospitalizations for COVID-19. Almost half of the hospitalizations listed as COVID-19 were incidental,
state officials said.
Massachusetts is among the other states planning to soon make such data public.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said on Jan. 9 that some hospitals that her agency has spoken to have up to four in 10 COVID-19 patients who are being admitted for other reasons. She didnโt know how many of the deaths attributed to COVID-19 in the nation were because of other reasons, and the agency hasnโt responded to a request for that information.
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Most Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients in New Jersey Admitted for Non-COVID Reasons: Officials