COVID-19 cases continue to surge in New Jersey

NEW JERSEY - COVID-19 positive patients are steadily filling beds at area hospitals. The second surge of coronavirus is here.

"What we’ve been watching is our volume double and double and double every couple week," Dr. Reginald Blaber, Virtua's executive vice president and chief clinical officer, said.

He says in August there were fewer than a dozen COVID patients while in October there were 40. Now, that number is up to nearly 150 and it’s not slowing down.

Dr. Blaber adds right now there are more younger people infected and perhaps that’s why the virus is appearing less severe.

At Virtua, COVID ICU admissions are lower than last spring at roughly 20 percent.  Therapies have greatly improved. But this winter the concern rises with younger people gathering indoors with those much more vulnerable.

Virtua, Cooper and Jefferson hospitals all say that they’ve been preparing for a second surge for months. 

Cooper University Health Care says it’s prepared to lead the state’s COVID-19 response for South Jersey: stockpiling equipment and supplies.  Virtua tells FOX 29  it acquired additional ventilators over the summer and is ready to pool resources with other hospitals if necessary.

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