Pennsylvania reports: average coronavirus death age 79; 67% happened in nursing homes

Pennsylvania health officials says 79 is the average age for coronvirus-related deaths in the state and that nearly 68% of those deaths occurred in assisted-living facilities – in one of the first state-based reports to breaking down virus statistics by age demographics. 

The speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Mike Turzai, announced the finding in a letter Wednesday to chamber members, after state Secretary of Health, Dr. Rachel Levine informed chamber leaders about the data.

Beyond the finding about the average age, the letter also states the 67.9% of the 3,106 people who have so far died in Pennsylvania – or 2,108 people – were living in nursing, personal-care and assisted-living facilities. The number translates to the 67.9% of all virus-deaths in these types of settings.

Of the 3,106 persons who have died, 11.9% had four comorbidities, 22.7% had three, 27.2% had two, 22.6% had one and 11% had zero.

Turzai pointed out that the percentages only add up to 95.% but that the statistics that were provided to leadership "verbally." 

Statistical underlying conditions were broken down further: 61% had hypertension, 54% had heart disease, 37% had diabetes and 30% had chronic pulmonary disease. 

Pennsylvania has 37,000 hospital beds, and as of Wednesday, according to Turzai, 2,572 patients, or 6.95%, occupied the available beds in the state.