A recent increase in the number of COVID-19 cases both regionally and across the country is no surprise to UPMC officials.

But even with the new cases, health experts are seeing fewer people hospitalized with the virus in need of ventilators and intensive care — and even those who die as a result — than when it first appeared last spring. That’s likely attributed to improvements in clinical treatments at various levels and more people wearing face masks.

UPMC held a press briefing Wednesday to address the Pittsburgh-based organization’s preparedness amid the rising number of cases.

“As we expected, and our public health colleagues expected, cases of COVID-19 increased across the nation and across the communities we serve over the past month,” said Dr. Donald Yealy, UPMC senior medical director and chairman of the department of emergency medicine. He said there are likely several factors for the bump, including not following mask recommendations, cooler weather leading to an increase in close contact among people indoors and what’s come to be known as “COVID fatigue.”

“Anyone can contract the virus,” said Yealy, noting that the elderly and those with underlying health conditions continue to be more at risk to experience moderate to severe complications associated with the virus.

“We understand fatigue,” Yealy continued, “but we caution everyone: stay vigilant. The virus doesn’t care about our fatigue. We must continue to practice the basic public health principals that we know work. Wear your mask; wear it properly so it covers your mouth and you nose. Don’ remove it to talk. Don’t remove it to cough or sneeze. It isn’t a guarantee that you won’t contract the virus by wearing a mask, but it decreases the likelihood, and beyond that, many suggest that people who are wearing masks when they are exposed — even if they happen to contract the virus — have less severe symptoms and are more likely to recover.”

Dr. Rachel Sackrowitz, UPMC ICU service center chief medical officer, agreed, noting that despite a rise in new cases, it appears symptoms are less severe than seen in the spring. She said fewer people in the hospital with COVID-19 are requiring intensive care and ventilators. That contrasts to the spring where — especially in New York state — health officials feared there’d be a lack of machines to help people breathe.

“The good news is that, compared to the spring, our COVID-19 patients are far less likely to need intensive care unit care,” Sackrowitz said, “and patients who do end up in the ICU are far less likely to need the support of a ventilator. In fact, our mortality rates, our ICU admissions and ventilator rates have dropped by 50% since the spring.”

The reason is likely twofold.

Sackrowitz said it has been found that giving steroids to hospitalized patients when they begin to need significant breathing support “vastly improves chances of survival.” Combined with the steroids, she said it has been found safe to provide breathing assistance through high-flow nasal oxygen rather than a ventilator.

“Compared to 30% in the spring, today only 14% of our current COVID in-patients require ventilators,” Sackrowitz said.

The second presumed reason for a change in severity of COVID-19 patients is widespread use of face masks. Both Yealy and Sackrowitz said masks help protect those wearing them from getting the virus and also protects the community from those who have it.

It is now believed that wearing a face mask also can help prevent getting a higher dose of the virus.

“Even if the mask doesn’t guarantee you won’t contract COVID-19, it does block some of the virus so that you likely get a lower dose,” Sackrowitz said. “We think that this may give your body a better chance to mount a successful immune response.”

The UPMC officials on Wednesday were also asked of Pfizer, which this week said its COVID-19 vaccine may be 90% effective based on early and incomplete test results. Pfizer, which is developing the vaccine with its German partner BioNTech, now is on track to apply later this month for emergency-use approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, once it has the necessary safety information in hand.

Even if all goes well, authorities have stressed it is unlikely any vaccine will arrive much before the end of the year, and the limited initial supplies will be rationed.

“It’s encouraging news that a COVID-19 vaccine could have 90% efficacy. That’s a fantastic development,” said Yealy, cautioning, however, that the results still need to be confirmed, then manufactured and distributed widely.