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An infectious disease doctor at Intermountain Healthcare estimates that nearly a third of Utahs have immunity to the COVID-19 virus, but he warns that it is not the time to wear the mask and other precautions too quickly.
Brandon Webb said that among the more than half a million Utahns who received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine and the “thousands of others” who contracted and recovered from COVID-19, “it is reasonable to estimate that our current herd immunity … is about 30%, maybe a little more. ”
That, he said, ‘is great. And we expect to see that number increase. But it is not yet enough for us to fully pass on the baton. ”
The “wisest course of action” is to do a phased reopening of the state, he said, warning against lifting restrictions and setting aside the face masks too quickly.
“We’re still in a race between vaccination and variants,” Webb said. ‘It’s important to remember that the virus is only 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 does not sleep, does not care about politics. It does not matter that we are all so tired of these precautions. ”
Only when the number of Utahns vaccinated increases will the state ‘be able to pass on the baton safely from the things we do to our immunity. And at the moment we are not there yet, ‘he said.
“It is therefore important,” Webb said, “that we continue to follow the social constraints and precautions imposed by the Department of Health and the Governors’ 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 less than 1,000 new cases of COVID-19 in the state. The average number since 18 February per day is 634.
The state also reported five more deaths, one of which occurred before February 12 and was only recently identified as coronavirus-related.
Vaccine doses administered in the past day / total doses administered • 31,411 / 816,934.
Utahns fully vaccinated • 291,003.
Cases reported in the past day • 549.
Deaths reported in the past day • Five.
Cache County reported two deaths – a man and a woman between the ages of 65 and 84.
Three other counties each reported one death, all in the age group 65 to 84: a man in Salt Lake County and women from Utah and Weber counties.
Hospitalizations reported in the past day • 203. It’s the same as Thursday. Of those currently hospitalized, 85 are is in vigilance units – two less than Thursday.
Tests reported in the past 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 state’s original method, the rate is 8.3%. This is lower than the seven-day average of 9.8%.
The new method counts all test results, including repeated tests of the same individual. Friday’s rate is now at 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 to date • 373,868 cases; 1,970 deaths; 14,841 hospitalizations; 2,236,642 people were tested.
On Friday, the University of Utah Health announced that it is opening the registration for COVID-19 vaccinations for any U. patient aged 50 and older, following the new admission guidelines set out by Government Spencer Cox on Thursday.
Previously, U. Health went through its electronic records and invited its existing patients who were eligible to receive the vaccine to make an appointment.
According to Kavish Choudhary, senior director of pharmacy at U. Health, the registration of the U. Friday will be updated Friday so patients can enroll in the appropriate groups.
Eligible groups added Thursday include adults over 50 and people 16 and older with diabetes, chronic kidney disease or a body mass index older than 30. These groups join a list that includes health workers, teachers, first responders, people with certain other underlying factors. conditions, and residents and staff of long-term care facilities.
Choudhury said that from Monday, three U.S. clinics in Sugar House, Farmington and South Jordan will have the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine available. The two-vaccine Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will be available at the University of Utah Hospital and the Redwood Health Center in the United States.
“If you have an opportunity to make an appointment, do not procrastinate, and get your chance,” Choudhury said.
“Anecdotal,” Webb said, “… it certainly seems like there’s a lot of excitement” about the 50-plus announcement. ‘It represents a very large part of our population. And that includes a group of individuals who have generally taken more precautions than others because they have a higher risk. … This is a wonderful new development as we continue to accelerate our vaccine deployment. ”
However, he warns: ‘The vaccine is less likely to be fully effective in some individuals’ with a weaker immune system. “Not everyone should still see the vaccine as a ticket to full freedom,” he said, “while we still have a fairly high community distribution.”
Tribune reporter Sean P. Means contributed to this report.