Utah Coronavirus: COVID-19 numbers continue to grow as the cold climate subsides

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It’s snowing. The number of COVID-19 is increasing.

Utah experienced its first cold wave on Sunday, expanding the record sequence of coronavirus cases. The Utah Department of Health announced on Sunday that 1,765 people had tested positive for the virus. This is the state’s second highest daily total since the outbreak began. The highest previously reported was Friday’s 1,906 confirmed cases. There are four days from Thursday to Sunday, with the most cases in Utah, for a total of 6,822. Over 10,000 people have been reported this week.

The 7-day moving average of positive tests exceeds 16% of those tested, which is also a record. Health officials say such a high positive test rate indicates that a large number of infected people have not been tested. In a week, the 7-day positive rate jumped from 14.4% to 16.6%, clearly showing that the outbreak is getting worse.

UDOH reported that 8,702 people were tested on Saturday, with a weekly average of 1,490 positive tests per day.

Dr. Eddie Stenehjem, an infectious disease specialist at Intermountain Healthcare, said he needed to take immediate action, even when winter wasn’t approaching.

“We’ve come to the point where we need to do something to change this current trajectory,” he said. “It may mean a temporary suspension across another state unless something dramatic happens. Our healthcare system is already at stake and is currently booming. There are no signs that it will stop, so it’s certainly a very, very difficult situation where we really have to do something.“

Last week, Utah struck other coronavirus landmarks in addition to its daily record. Since the pandemic began, the threshold for 100,000 COVID-19 cases has been exceeded. Of these, 27,165 were aggregated within the last three weeks.

The state has also been hospitalized more than 5,000 times since March. On Sunday, 308 people were reported to have been hospitalized in the ICU with 120 people. This is yet another highest level in total for the day. The hospital reported that 76.1% of the beds in the intensive care unit were occupied, a representative said: They don’t really have staff to fill the ICU bed 100%..

“If we’re 85%,” said Joe Doherty, a spokesman for Utah’s Emergency Management Department. “We are basically 100%.”

Utah Hospital Association President Greg Bell told Salt Lake Tribune that state hospital managers may need his approval within the next two weeks of the guidelines to begin distributing patient care. He said he warned Governor Gary Herbert.

Utah is currently ranked sixth in the country in terms of per capita cases, with an average of 44.4 per 100,000 inhabitants over a seven-day period. Widespread only in Wisconsin (leading the United States with 73.5 per 100,000 people), Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention..

People are not only catching COVID-19, but dying from it. And they are not all elderly.

The 15-24 year old man who was hospitalized was one of four people reported by UDOH to die of COVID-19 on Sunday. The Bear River Health District, which includes Box Elder, Cash, and Rich counties, reported additional deaths on Sunday, but his county of residence was not provided. He is one of the youngest victims of the coronavirus in the state. Less than 5 cases have been reported in that category.

Among the dead were two Washington County men aged 85 and over and 65 to 84, both of whom were hospitalized. The fourth is a woman from Emery County, aged 45 to 64, who was hospitalized at the time of her death.

It is reported that 29 people have died in Utah this week alone.

Experts have long expressed concern about the surge in cases of coronavirus when the weather begins to cool, and snow dust in Salt Lake City on Sunday indicates that time is near. It was. Temperatures in Salt Lake City should return to the mid-1960s for about a week starting Thursday, but seasonal slides are expected to begin in early November.

And the virus may propagate in cold climates.

Researchers at the University of Maryland According to an article in The New York Times, “Some viruses last longer in colder, drier conditions. Aerosolized viruses can remain more stable in colder air. In such situations. , The virus can replicate more quickly, and the human immune system may react differently depending on the season. ”According to the article, it all seems to be done in Alaska. The condition remained largely unregulated in the summer without many outbreaks, but saw a dramatic increase in cases that correlated with lower temperatures.

When it comes to avoiding COVID-19 infection, the cold air also causes some obvious problems.

The restaurant will soon be packed with meals on the patio and family gatherings will be moved indoors. Once a quaint novelty, outdoor church services become much less attractive when snow suits and mittens are involved. Studies have also shown that virus spread is significantly higher in closed areas than in areas with ample air movement and sunlight.

That is what Stenehem is most concerned about.

“Whether it’s influenza, rhinovirus, or any other respiratory virus, respiratory and viral infections peak in winter,” he said. “And one of the main causes of this is the fact that we are close to each other and there is no ventilation. More viral infections occur. And it inevitably occurs with the coronavirus. . “

The combination of these viruses and COVID-19 can adversely affect the healthcare system. Since 2010, influenza has killed 12,000 to 61,000 people and hospitalized 140,000 to 810,000 people annually in the United States.if Bad flu season clashes with coronavirus, It may be a disaster.

Even after that, the state is now well on its way to disaster, even if no other virus has accumulated, Stenehem said. Hospitalization due to the current surge will not be seen in the next few weeks, but that may be sufficient.

“I think the flu will come to mind before it comes here,” he said, saying that the flu usually peaks in January and February. “In terms of the capabilities of our healthcare system and the capabilities of our healthcare professionals, we will stand out here in the coming weeks. And with the crises we are facing now. [what] Influenza can definitely evolve faster than it can get there.

“Even before the flu season comes, we will have to do something dramatic.”