[ad_1]
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Department of Health reported 2,150 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 13 new deaths on Saturday in its daily release of updated coronavirus statistics.
Six of those new deaths occurred before December 26, he said, and were added after further investigation. “The Medical Examiner’s Office is conducting extensive investigations into all potential COVID-related deaths,” the department wrote in an email, “(and) these investigations can take several weeks.”
The update brings Utah to 322,252 total confirmed cases and 1,485 deaths since the start of the pandemic. About 56,521 of these cases are currently active.
Over the past week, the state is averaging 2,315 new confirmed cases per day and an ongoing positive testing rate of 24.7%, down from 32.6% a week ago, but still within a range indicating a high likelihood of underreported community spread.
Currently, 581 Utahns are hospitalized due to COVID-19, including 231 in intensive care. Saturday’s figures come as 10,460 more people have been tested for the virus and around 26,000 new tests have been completed overall, according to the health department.
A total of 152,509 doses of the vaccine have now been administered in the state, nearly 10,000 more than yesterday.
The health department said on Friday it had detected a new variant of COVID-19 in Utah, a first found in the UK The variant is believed to be more transmissible and easier to spread than previous iterations of the virus, but there is no evidence that it is more lethal. Health officials currently believe approved vaccines against the coronavirus will be effective against the variant.
Utah health officials on Saturday announced on Twitter they have deployed a monoclonal antibody “response team” to long-term care facilities facing coronavirus outbreaks under the leadership of Governor Spencer Cox. “Monoclonal antibodies to COVID-19 can prevent the virus that causes COVID-19 from attaching to human cells,” they said. wrote, “making it harder for the virus to reproduce and cause damage.”
Antibodies form naturally in the body of recovered patients, providing some immunity against future infection; Monoclonal antibodies are created in a lab to mimic this effect and have been approved by federal agencies as a prevention and treatment for COVID-19.
The health department said its strike teams are reportedly delivering 25 infusions at five different facilities on Saturday.
There is no state leaders coronavirus press conference scheduled for this weekend.
The 13 deaths reported on Saturday included:
- Box Elder County man aged 65 to 84 who resided in long-term care facility
- Davis County man over 85 who was hospitalized when he died
- Garfield County man aged 65 to 84 who resided in long-term care facility
- Salt Lake County man aged 65 to 84 who was hospitalized
- Salt Lake County woman over 85 residing in long-term care facility
- Sanpete County man aged 65 to 84 who was hospitalized
- Uintah County woman over 85 living in long-term care facility
- 65-84-year-old Utah County man who was not hospitalized when he died
- Utah County man aged 65 to 84 who was hospitalized
- Utah County woman over 85 living in long-term care facility
- Washington County woman aged 65 to 84 residing in long-term care facility
- Two Washington County men aged 65 to 84 residing in long-term care facility
This week
- Friday: 2,543 more COVID-19 cases, 12 deaths reported Friday in Utah
- Thursday: Utah Still Working On Vaccine Deployment Hiccups As State Sees 2,742 New COVID-19 Cases, 11 Deaths
- Wednesday: 2,899 more cases of COVID-19, 27 deaths reported Wednesday in Utah
- Tuesday: 2,146 additional COVID-19 cases, 26 deaths reported Tuesday in Utah
- On Monday: 1,484 more cases of COVID-19, 4 deaths reported Monday in Utah
Methodology:
Test results now include data from PCR tests and antigen tests. Positive COVID-19 test results are reported to the health department immediately after confirmation, but negative test results may not be reported for 24 to 72 hours.
The total number of cases reported each day by the Utah Department of Health includes all COVID-19 cases since the start of the Utah epidemic, including those currently infected, those who have passed away. recovered from illness and those who died.
Cured cases are defined as anyone who was diagnosed with COVID-19 three weeks or more ago and has not died.
Referral hospitals are the 16 hospitals in Utah capable of providing the best healthcare for COVID-19.
The deaths reported by the state have generally occurred two to seven days before they are reported, according to the health department. Some deaths can be even more distant, especially if the person is from Utah but died in another state.
The health department is reporting deaths from confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases according to the case definition set by the State Council and territorial epidemiologists. The number of deaths is subject to change as case investigations are completed.
For deaths reported as COVID-19 deaths, the person would not have died if they did not have COVID-19, according to the health department.
The data included in this story primarily reflects the state of Utah as a whole. For more localized data, visit your local health district website.
More information on Utah’s health counseling levels is available at coronavirus.utah.gov/utah-health-guidance-levels.
The information comes from the Utah Department of Health and coronavirus.utah.gov/case-counts. For more information on how the Utah Department of Health compiles and reports COVID-19 data, visit coronavirus.utah.gov/case-counts and scroll to the “Data Notes” section ” at the bottom of the page.
Related stories
Graham dudleyOther stories that might interest you
[ad_2]
Source link