Many Hospitalized for COVID-19 Are the Young

Speaker 1: 00:02 [inaudible]. Speaker 2: 00:02 It's Saturday, March 21st I'm John Carroll and you're listening to San Diego news matters from KPBS coming up. KPBS reporter Prius Sri there on what governor Gavin Newsome stay at home. Vulgar means to you and what's up with all the rain? We get the answers from the national weather service Speaker 1: 00:24 [inaudible] and more coming up right after the break. [inaudible] Speaker 3: 00:39 all of us are now under governor Gavin Newsome stay at home order KPBS reporter Prius or either explains what that means for you. Speaker 4: 00:47 The order asks most residents to stay at home exceptions can be made for trips to the grocery store, gas stations, food banks, convenient stores, banks and laundromats, and to get takeout and delivery from restaurants. Any trip to a healthcare provider is also okay. San Diego police, Lieutenant Sean Takiyuchi says they won't be stopping people and asking them where they're going. It's up to everyone to work together to comply. Speaker 5: 01:13 I think it takes a social pressure, you know, it takes a community to make sure that we survive this. Speaker 4: 01:18 Workers whose jobs are considered essential are allowed to go to work for a list of those jobs. Go to kpbs.org no word yet on how long this will last. Prius or either K PBS news, Speaker 3: 01:31 new data shows San Diego hospitals would be filled beyond capacity with an influx of patients needing treatment due to coven 19 KPBS reporter Claire [inaudible] took a look at the data and talked to local hospitals about how they're preparing Speaker 4: 01:46 the models from the Harvard global health Institute. Illustrate how many patients would need treatment and how many hospital beds would be available under multiple scenarios. In the worst case, there would be five times as many patients as available beds. That's if 60% of the population over 1.8 million people is infected in six months. Local hospitals are already preparing to meet the increased need. Says dr Christopher Longhurst, the chief information officer at UC San Diego health. Speaker 5: 02:18 We have been reducing elective procedures and we have contingency planning in place to expand our critical care beyond normal ICU beds. We're also looking at housing options on campus at Scripps health, Speaker 4: 02:30 preparing by canceling elective surgeries and discharging patients. When beds are filled, the hospital system will look for other open beds outside the region and could set up surge tents. Claire Tyga, sir KPBS news. Speaker 3: 02:45 New data from the centers for disease control shows that it's not just the elderly who are vulnerable to Covance. 19 KPB a science and technology reporter Shalina chaat Lani says young people are at risk too. Speaker 4: 02:57 The CDC analyzed 2,500 Speaker 6: 03:00 positive cases in the United States and found around 40% of people needing hospitalization were between the ages of 20 and 54 well, the risk of dying is higher among patients 65 and older. The data shows younger people are still susceptible to severe cases of the illness. A sharp contrast to previous beliefs on Friday world health organization director teachers, Gabrielle pesos issued a warning to young people who are failing to socially distance themselves. Speaker 7: 03:28 Message for young people, you are not invincible. This virus could put you in hospital for weeks or even kill you. Speaker 6: 03:37 Testing in San Diego shows that of the more than 100 people who tested positive around two thirds are under the age of 50 and the latest census data shows the average San Diego. It's around 35 years old. Shelina chat, Lani KPBS news, Speaker 3: 03:52 Chula Vista city Councilman Steve Pedea is hospitalized and in intensive care after his symptoms from coven 19 worsened KPBS Metro reporter Andrew Bowen says his family is urging people to take the virus seriously. Speaker 8: 04:08 Pedea announced last Saturday that he had tested positive for the Corona virus. Here's what he said that day in a video posted to Twitter. Speaker 7: 04:15 I'm doing very well. I'm feeling well. Thanks to the support of amazing health care professionals and amazing family and friends who while keeping their distance are doing their best to be as supportive of me as they possibly can. Speaker 8: 04:28 Fast forward to Thursday evening, puddy his daughter Ashley announced her father was in intensive care at UCFD Thorton hospital breathing with the help of a respirator. She said the Councilman had asked her to pass on a message quote, please follow the advice of our public health professionals to reduce the spread of the virus and take precautions to keep your families and our community safe. Andrew Bowen, KPBS news, Speaker 3: 04:53 the Corona virus is making life in San Diego different and so is the weather KPBS editor Tom fudge with more on that. Speaker 9: 05:00 The Corona virus is cast a shadow on all other local events, but the shadows of rainclouds and the soggy ground in San Diego are also very unusual. Some parts of San Diego have gotten between three and four inches of rain in the past two weeks. Atmospheric river is Laden with water vapor and become a huge source of rain in our region. They often originate near the Hawaiian islands, but Alex tardy with the national weather service says the storms we've seen had been rolling down the California coast. Speaker 10: 05:31 Most of these storms have been coming down directly from the North and they've just been bringing cold air and lots of showers and Speaker 9: 05:39 no, he says another strong storm is due to arrive next Wednesday. Tom fudge KPBS news. Speaker 2: 05:51 Thanks for listening to San Diego news matters. If you're not already a member, please consider supporting this by becoming a KPBS member today. Just go to kpbs.org and click on the give now button.