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An infectious disease doctor at Intermountain Healthcare estimates that nearly a third of Utahns have immunity to the COVID-19 virus, but warns that this is not the time to relax too quickly in the use of masks and other precautions.
Dr. Brandon Webb said that among the more than half a million Utahns who have received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine and the “thousands of others” who have been contracted and recovered from COVID-19, “It’s reasonable to estimate that our herd immunity … is around 30%, maybe a little more.”
That, he said, “is fantastic. And we hope that this number will continue to be built. But it is still not enough to approve the baton completely ”.
The “wisest course of action” is to “make a gradual reopening” of the state, he said, warning against lifting restrictions and throwing away masks too quickly.
“We’re still in a race between vaccination and variants,” Webb said. “It’s important to remember that the virus is just a machine … whose sole purpose is to survive by infecting others. And it will continue to do so as long as there are susceptible individuals in the population. It doesn’t sleep, it doesn’t care about politics. It doesn’t matter that we are so tired of these precautions ”.
Only when the number of vaccinated Utahns grows will the state “be able to safely pass the baton of the things we are doing to our immunity. And right now we’re not there yet, “he said.
“So it’s important,” Webb said, “that we continue to follow the social restrictions and precautions set by the Department of Health and the governor’s office.”
[Read more: Why does Utah rank as the one of slowest states at vaccinating residents against COVID-19?]
On Friday, for the 15th day in a row, the Utah Department of Health reported fewer than 1,000 new cases of COVID-19 in the state. The average number per day since February 18 is 634.
The state also reported five more deaths, one of which occurred before Feb. 12 and was only recently identified as related to the coronavirus.
Dose of vaccines administered last day / total doses administered • 31,411 / 816,934.
Fully vaccinated Utahns • 291,003.
Cases reported last day • 549.
Deaths reported last day • Five.
Cache County reported two deaths: a man and a woman between the ages of 65 and 84.
Three other counties reported one death each, all between the ages of 65 and 84: a man in Salt Lake County and women in Utah and Weber counties.
Hospitalizations reported last day • 203. This is the same as Thursday. Of those currently hospitalized, 85 they are in intensive care units: two less than Thursday.
Tests reported last day • 6,601 people were tested for the first time. A total of 16,934 people were tested.
[Read more: Exclusive: TestUtah’s COVID-19 testing costs the state more than other sites, analysis shows]
Percentage of positive tests • According to the original method of the state, the rate is 8.3%. This is below the seven-day average of 9.8%.
His new method counts all test results, including repeated tests from the same individual. Friday’s rate is now 3.2%, lower than the seven-day average of 4.6%.
[Read more: Utah is changing how it measures the rate of positive COVID-19 tests. Here’s what that means.]
Total so far • 373,868 cases; 1,970 dead; 14,841 hospitalizations; 2,236,642 people tested.
On Friday, the University of Utah Health announced it would open the registry for COVID-19 vaccines to any patient age 50 or older, according to new eligibility guidelines set Thursday by Governor Spencer Cox.
Previously, U. Health was reviewing its electronic records and inviting existing patients who were eligible to get the vaccine to make an appointment.
According to Kavish Choudhary, senior director of pharmacy at U. Health, the U.S. online registry will be updated on Friday to allow patients from eligible groups to enroll.
Eligible groups added on Thursday include adults over the age of 50 and people over the age of 50 with diabetes, chronic kidney disease, or a body mass index over the age of 30. These groups join a list that includes health workers, teachers, first aiders, people with other underlying. and long-term care center residents and staff.
Choudhury said that as of Monday, three U.S. clinics – at Sugar House, Farmington and South Jordan – will have the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine available. The Pfizer and Moderna two-shot vaccines will be available at the University of Utah Hospital and the U. Redwood Health Center.
“If you get a chance to get an appointment, don’t delay and get your shot,” Choudhury said.
“Anecdotally,” Webb said, “… there certainly seems to be a lot of excitement” for the 50-year-old ad. “This represents a very large fraction of our population. And it encompasses a group of individuals who, again, in general, have been taking more precautions than others because they have a higher risk. … This is a great new development as we continue to accelerate the deployment of the vaccine. “
However, he warned: “The vaccine is less likely to be fully effective in some people” with weaker immune systems. “Not everyone should still see the vaccine as a ticket to full freedom,” he said, “although we still have a fairly high community transmission.”
– Tribune reporter Sean P. Means contributed to this report.