Coachella Valley leads in COVID-19 case, death, hospitalization rates compared to other Riverside County regions

While Riverside County received some good news Monday — case rates have plateaued and in some cases started to decrease — the pandemic remains a grim reality as a new report shows the Coachella Valley was home to some of the highest COVID-19 case and death rates in the county in 2021.

The report, released by Riverside County Public Health on Friday, compares the valley's rates to the north, south, east and mid regions of Riverside County. In 2021, the Coachella Valley had a population of 458,752, or 19% of the county's total population.

Among 304,389 vaccinated people — defined by public health as those who completed at least their primary vaccine series — ages 5 and older in the Coachella Valley in 2021, 5,419 (1.8%) were sick with COVID-19 and 36 (0.012%) died. The region had the lowest case percentage compared to others, while its percentage of deaths was among the highest.

The COVID-19 case rate among the vaccinated was 1,780.3 per 100,000, the lowest in the county. The death rate was 11.8 per 100,000, which was the second-highest compared to other regions.

Among the 125,464-person unvaccinated population in the Coachella Valley — defined as receiving no vaccination or being partially vaccinated — in 2021, 25,806 people (20.6%) were ill with COVID-19 and 505 died (0.4%). The Coachella Valley region had the highest percentage of unvaccinated cases, with the north county close behind at 20%, while the valley tied with the mid area for its percentage of deaths.

The COVID-19 case and death rates for unvaccinated individuals were the highest in the Coachella Valley compared to other regions. The case rate was 20,568.4 per 100,000, while the death rate was 402.5 per 100,000. The second-highest case rate was the north's 20,031.2 per 100,000, while the mid county's death rate was 386.7 per 100,000.

As more people got vaccinated from February and onward in the Coachella Valley, COVID-19 cases among that population steadily grew throughout the year. In total, there were 4,937 cases during that time period.

During the summer months, the vaccinated made up more than 22% of all cases in the valley. Other regions during that time had vaccinated cases in the teen percentages.

The valley, with 36 vaccinated deaths from February to December, also had some of the highest percentages of vaccinated deaths in the county. In May, vaccinated deaths made up 42.9% of all deaths in the Coachella Valley, the highest rate overall for vaccinated deaths in Riverside County in 2021. Other months' percentages were typically in the teens or 20s.

Dr. Jennifer Chevinsky, deputy public health officer for Riverside County Public Health, said there's a number of unique factors in the Coachella Valley that might have led to those higher numbers.

"It's an area that has a number of retirement communities ... so we know that more severe disease might happen in those older age groups," Chevinsky said. "When we look at those who might be considered breakthrough cases ... we see those more in people who are older or have certain health conditions. We see some congregate-type settings, so skilled nursing facilities, we also have migrant populations, transitory populations, people who are traveling, so more opportunity for illness to be brought in and spread."

Most fully vaccinated patients in hospitals were those ages 65 and older.

With the nation grappling with the omicron surge currently, the valley reached a high of 41.5% of cases among the vaccinated in December.

Chevinsky said it reaffirms what's been known about the variant — that it's quite contagious and transmissible — and that those who are boosted are the "most well protected." She added that those who got vaccinated early on may have waning immunity, which could also be a cause for the increasing cases, and highlights the importance of getting a booster dose if eligible.

Unvaccinated cases were still significantly higher compared to the vaccinated, but decreased over time. There were 21,611 unvaccinated cases between February and December.

The Coachella Valley comparatively had lower rates of unvaccinated illnesses than other regions and the county overall, but still remained above 70% throughout the year. The lowest was 58.5% in December. Percentages of unvaccinated deaths remained above 76%, except for 57.1% in May, and were often among the lowest reported month over month.

The report also shows that 67% of children's cases in December were unvaccinated.

While Coachella Valley did not have the highest number of total patients between July and December in the county, it did have comparatively higher rates of vaccinated individuals needing to be hospitalized. The region had 827 total patients during the last half of 2021, and 18.3% were fully vaccinated and 81.7% were unvaccinated. November touted the highest rate of vaccinated patients — 22.6% — in the Coachella Valley.

Chevinsky notes that health disparities among various communities, such as people of color and LGBTQ+ populations, could have played a role. Certain ethnic groups, such as Hispanic/Latinos, are at increased risk to develop diabetes due to factors such as genetics, food and higher weight rates in the community, according to a community health needs assessment report commissioned by the Desert Healthcare District and Foundation. Black people are also 80% more likely than white people to be diagnosed with diabetes, the report states. Additionally, there are 10,337 people living with HIV or AIDS in Riverside County, according to 2020 data, and more than half reside in the Coachella Valley.

Those with underlying conditions "might be more immunocompromised," Chevinsky said, and if they're vaccinated but still getting sick or needing to be hospitalized, their bodies might not be generating "as robust of a response as somebody who is either younger or has a better, healthier immune system."

However, the unvaccinated still make up an overwhelming majority of patients. For the 18 to 29 and 30 to 49 age groups, unvaccinated people made up 94.1% and 92.4%, respectively, of hospitalizations.

"There's a reason that we're encouraging vaccinations for all eligible populations, including the younger groups, and it's because we do see those who do get sick," Chevinsky said.

Along with vaccinations and booster shots, there are a number of therapeutics available to help those at higher risk of severe disease.

The Coachella Valley has two monoclonal antibody sites at Desert Oasis Healthcare (760-969-6555) and Eisenhower Health (760-834-3516). Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-made proteins that mimic the immune system’s ability to fight off an infection, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Community members can contact these centers directly to make appointments, according to Chevinsky. Treatment occurs within 10 days of testing positive for COVID-19.

If you do not currently have COVID-19, but have a weakened immune system due to conditions such as cancer, advanced or untreated HIV or an organ transplant, or you are taking immunosuppressive medication, you may be eligible for Evusheld monoclonal antibody treatment.

"For people that got vaccinated, but we're anticipating that they might not have as much of a robust immune response to that vaccination, they can also get this Evusheld as protection or prevention that should cover them for six months prior to getting exposed," said Chevinsky.

Health care providers who have patients who would benefit from Evusheld can refer them to Desert Regional Medical Center (760-416-4925) or Eisenhower Health (760-834-1516).

Oral antiviral treatments, such as Pfizer's Paxlovid and Merck's molnupiravir, are also available, but a prescription is needed.

Ema Sasic covers health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Coachella Valley leads in COVID-19 case, death rates in county