A Utah doctor is worried when he sees that the number of cases hits a plateau.
(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) 67-year-old Siraj Ahmed receives the first free Modern vaccination on Thursday from apprentice Bailey Weems, a nurse in the Salt Lake County Department of Health. More than 120 people have been scheduled to receive the first photos of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines at the Utah Islamic Center in West Jordan, March 18, 2021.
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Utah continues on its COVID-19 plateau, with 447 new cases reported Friday. And an Intermountain Healthcare doctor for infectious diseases is worried that Utahns are starting to leave “a little guard.”
“We have seen a very low continuous trend in the number of cases,” said Dr. Eddie Stenehjem. “It simply came to our notice then. And now I think we’re starting to see a slight increase in cases. ”
The Utah Department of Health also reported 17 more deaths Friday. Twelve of these took place before 19 February and were only recently confirmed as a result of COVID-19. Thirteen of those who died were 65 years of age and older, but one was a man between the ages of 18 and 24, and another was a woman between the ages of 25 and 44.
Because there is optimism as more people get vaccinated, Stenehjem said, “You’re starting to grow your social circles a little bit, and that will lead to an increase in transmissions.” And the data show that the “younger population” – the age groups 1-14 and 15-24 – has increased in cases.
“We have to keep in mind that, yes, vaccinations work very well. And it’s going faster than we expected, both nationally and in Utah, “he said. “But we are not there yet. We do not have the vaccinated masses to the point where we have some kind of protection in terms of ‘herd immunity’. ”
[Read more: Utahns find the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine can bring harsher side effects]
Although Utah is “approaching” and “it’s a very optimistic time,” Stenehjem said, “we just have to be really careful not to declare victory before we’re actually at the finish line here.”
Last day vaccine doses / total doses administered • 31.146 / 1.111.185.
Utahns fully vaccinated • 402,988.
Cases reported the other day • 447.
Deaths reported last day • 17.
Salt Lake County reported six deaths: a man between the ages of 18 and 24; one man and three women 65-84; and an extra 85 man.
There were three deaths in Washington County: two men and a woman aged 65-84.
Two residents of Cache County died: a 25-44-year-old woman and an 85-year-old man. And two Davis County residents died: a 45-64 man and a 65-84 man.
Each of the four counties reported only one death: one man 65-84 in Iron County; an 85-year-old man in Tooele County; a 45-64-year-old woman in Uintah County; and a 65-84 woman in Weber County.
Hospitalizations reported last day • 176. E jos 13 on Thursday. Of those currently hospitalized, 61 are in intensive care units – two fewer than on Thursday.
Tests reported the other day • 5,967 people were tested for the first time. A total of 15,565 people were tested.
Percentage of positive tests • According to the initial state method, the rate is 7.5%. This is lower than the seven-day average of 8.3%.
His new method counts all test results, including repeated tests of the same individual. Thursday’s rate is now 2.9%, lower than the seven-day average of 4.2%.
[Read more: Utah is changing how it measures the rate of positive COVID-19 tests. Here’s what that means.]
Totals so far • 380,787 cases; 2,058 deaths; 15,241 hospitalizations; 2,320,731 people tested.