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An infectious diseases physician at Intermountain Healthcare estimates that nearly one-third of Utahns have immunity to the COVID-19 virus, but he cautions that now is not the time to relax too soon wearing a mask and other precautions.
Dr. Brandon Webb said that among the more than half a million Utahns who have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine and the “thousands of others” who are contracted and recovered from COVID-19, “it is reasonable to estimate that our current herd immunity … is somewhere around 30%, maybe a little bit more. “
That, he said, “is great. And we expect that number to continue to grow. But it is still not enough for us to pass the baton completely. “
The “wisest course of action” is to “do a staged reopening” of the state, he said, warning of lifting restrictions and throwing out face masks too soon.
“We are 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 sensitive individuals in the population. It doesn’t sleep, doesn’t care about politics. It doesn’t matter that we are all so tired of these precautions. “
Only if the number of Utahns vaccinated increases will the state “ be able to safely pass the baton on the things we do about our immunity. ” And 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, the Utah Department of Health reported fewer than 1,000 new cases of COVID-19 in the state for the 15th day in a row. The average number per day since February 18 is 634.
The state also reported five more deaths, one of which occurred before February 12 and was only recently identified as related to the coronavirus.
Vaccine Doses Administered Over the Last 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.
Hospital admissions reported in the past day • 203. That is the same as on Thursday. Of those currently hospitalized, 85 are are in intensive care 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%. That is lower than the seven-day average of 9.8%.
The new method counts all test results, including repeated tests from the same person. 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.]
Totals so far • 373,868 cases; 1,970 dead; 14,841 hospital admissions; 2,236,642 people tested.
On Friday, the University of Utah Health announced that it is opening registration for COVID-19 vaccinations to every U.S. patient 50 or older, according to new admission guidelines set by Governor Spencer Cox on Thursday.
Previously, U. Health was reviewing its electronic records and inviting its existing vaccine-eligible patients to make an appointment.
According to Kavish Choudhary, senior director of pharmacy at U. Health, the U.’s online registration will be updated Friday to allow patients in the eligible groups to enroll.
Eligible groups added Thursday include adults over 50 and people 16 and over with diabetes, chronic kidney disease, or a body mass index over 30. Those groups will be on a list of health professionals, educators, first responders , people with certain other underlying conditions, and residents and staff of long-term care facilities.
Choudhury said that starting Monday, three U. clinics – in Sugar House, Farmington and South Jordan – will have the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine available. The dual Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will be available at the University of Utah Hospital and the U.’s Redwood Health Center.
“If you have the opportunity to make an appointment, don’t wait any longer and give it a shot,” Choudhury said.
“Anecdotally,” said Webb, “… it certainly seems there is a lot of excitement” about the over 50-year announcement. “That represents a very large part of our population. And it includes a group of individuals who, again, have generally taken more precautions than others because they are at higher risk. … This is a great new development as we continue to accelerate our vaccinations. “
Still, he cautioned, “The vaccine is less likely to be fully effective in some individuals” with weaker immune systems. “Yet not everyone should see the vaccine as a ticket to complete freedom,” he said, “while we still have a fairly high community transmission rate.”
Tribune reporter Sean P. Means contributed to this report.