CORONAVIRUS

Utah reports 120 COVID cases, 6 additional deaths

Mar 18, 2022, 1:03 PM | Updated: 1:06 pm

FILE PHOTO (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)...

FILE PHOTO (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Department of Health on Friday said six more Utahns have lost their lives due to COVID-19 while 120 residents have tested positive for the virus since yesterday.

UDOH said three of the deaths reported Friday occurred before Feb. 18, and one previously reported death has been retracted after further examination by the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner.

Of those 120 cases, eight (10.98%) were in school-aged children:

  • 3 cases in children ages 5-10
  • 0 cases in children ages 11-13
  • 5 cases in children ages 14-17

Currently, 156 Utahns are in the hospital with confirmed cases of COVID-19 — the same as Thursday and the state’s lowest count since June 20 (150).

Hospitalizations

Of the 156 people currently hospitalized with confirmed cases of COVID-19, 26 of those people are in intensive care units — a drop of three from Thursday’s count.

Utah’s ICUs were 68.1% full Friday and the ICU beds in Utah’s 16 referral centers, where the majority of COVID-19 patients are treated, were 71.2% full — below the state’s utilization warning mark of 77%.

(UDOH)

Just four percent of Utah’s ICU usage is due to COVID-19 patients.

“At about 69% overall ICU utilization, ICUs in Utah’s major hospitals with the ability to provide best care for COVID-19 patients begin to reach staffing capacity,” UDOH officials said. “Seventy-two percent use among all hospitals and 77% in referral center hospitals creates major strains on the health care system. When 85% capacity is reached, Utah will be functionally out of staffed ICU beds, indicating an overwhelmed hospital system.”

Vaccinations

As of Friday, 4,985,261 vaccine doses have been given in Utah — an increase of 2,314 since yesterday.

Over 1.99 million Utahns are now fully vaccinated, over 2.24 million have received at least one dose of a vaccine and over 887,000 have received a booster dose.

Over 6.14 million vaccine doses have been delivered to the Beehive State.

(UDOH) (UDOH) (UDOH) (UDOH)

Data includes the total number of people who have received a booster dose, a breakdown by age (over 65 and under 65), and data on the type of booster dose people have received.

Children ages 5-11 are eligible to receive a smaller dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, which has been fully approved by the FDA and CDC, and appointments are available across the stateModerna’s vaccine has also received full U.S. approval.

All Utahns age 18 and older, who received their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine more than five months ago, or a Johnson & Johnson vaccine more than two months ago, are also eligible for a booster shot.

Three studies released by the CDC offer more evidence that COVID-19 vaccines are standing up to the omicron variant, at least among people who received booster shots.

Booster shots needed against omicron, CDC studies show

Teens ages 12 to 17 are also eligible for a Pfizer booster dose.

The FDA and CDC have approved booster doses for Americans and urged those age 50 and older to seek one.

Vaccinated and booster vs. unvaccinated risk ratios

In the last 28 days, people who are unvaccinated are at 19.6 times greater risk of dying from COVID-19, 5.4 times greater risk of being hospitalized due to COVID-19, and 2 times greater risk of testing positive for COVID-19 than boosted people.

In the last 28 days, people who are unvaccinated are at 5.1 times greater risk of dying from COVID-19, 2.1 times greater risk of being hospitalized due to COVID-19, and 1.9 times greater risk of testing positive for COVID-19 than vaccinated people.

(UDOH)

Testing

UDOH reports 4,979,534 people have been tested — 1,815 more since yesterday. Of those, 926,442 Utahns have tested positive for COVID-19 — an increase of 120 new cases.

The rolling seven-day average for positive tests was 139 — down from 169 on Monday and 282 the Monday before.

(UDOH)

The rolling seven-day average for percent positivity of “people over people” dropped to 5.4% while the rolling seven-day average for percent positivity of “tests over tests” dropped to 3.3%.

Deaths

The virus has killed 4,561 of the state’s residents. UDOH said three of the following deaths, which were reported Wednesday, occurred before Feb. 18:

  • Female, between 65-84, Weber County resident, long-term care facility resident
  • Female, between 65-84, Davis County resident, not hospitalized at time of death
  • Male, between 65-84, Utah County resident, long-term care facility resident
  • Male, older than 85, Weber County resident, not hospitalized at time of death
  • Male, between 65-84, Utah County resident, long-term care facility resident
  • Female, older than 85, Salt Lake County resident, not hospitalized at time of death

UDOH said one death has been retracted following further study from the state’s medical examiner:

  • March 17: Male, between 65-84, Weber County resident, long-term care facility resident

Nationwide Numbers


Coronavirus Resources

Have you or a family member been affected by coronavirus issues in Utah? KSL wants to hear from you. Contact KSL by emailing social@ksl.com.

Click here to sign up for a vaccine and here to see how Utah’s vaccine rollout is progressing.

The latest COVID-19 stories from KSL can be found here.

How do I prevent it?

The CDC has some simple recommendations, most of which are the same for preventing other respiratory illnesses or the flu:

  • Get vaccinated and a booster dose if it has been more than five months (Pfizer/Moderna) since your second dose or two months (J&J) since your first
  • Avoid close contact with people who may be sick
  • Avoid touching your face
  • Stay home when you are sick
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue and then throw the tissue in the trash
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. Always wash your hands with soap and water if your hands are visibly dirty.
  • If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

People, including children older than 2, should wear a mask in indoor public places if they are:

  • Not fully vaccinated
  • Fully vaccinated and in an area with substantial or high transmission
  • Fully vaccinated and with weakened immune systems
  • In general, you do not need to wear a mask in outdoor settings.

Updated isolation guidelines can be found here.

KSL 5 TV Live

Coronavirus

FILE: Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 (left) and Moderna COVID-19 (right) vaccines are seen at a vaccinati...

Zeke Miller, AP White House Correspondent

US to lift most federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates next week

The Biden administration will end the last remaining federal COVID-19 vaccine requirements next week when the national public health emergency for the coronavirus ends.

11 months ago

A general view of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta...

Brenda Goodman, CNN

CDC set to stop tracking community levels for Covid-19

As the nation's public health emergency expires on May 11, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will stop reporting its color-coded Covid-19 Community Levels as a way to track the spread of the infection.

11 months ago

Pharmacist Patricia Pernal administers the newest COVID-19 vaccine during a clinic for seniors at t...

Tami Luhby

New White House plan aims to provide uninsured with free COVID-19 vaccines

The Biden administration unveiled Tuesday a $1.1 billion program aimed at providing COVID-19 vaccines and treatments to the uninsured at no cost after the federal supply is exhausted.

12 months ago

Shen Hongbing, the director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, speaks at a p...

Joe McDonald

China health officials lash out at WHO, defend virus search

Chinese health officials defended their search for the source of the COVID-19 virus on Saturday.

12 months ago

Intermountain Medical Center (KSL TV)...

Emily Ashcraft

Pandemic led to increase in rate and severity of depression, Intermountain study says

The COVID-19 pandemic had a large impact on mental health, specifically depression, an Intermountain Health study using research from thousands Utah patients found.

1 year ago

FILE PHOTO (KSL-TV)...

Emily Ashcraft

Masks no longer required at Intermountain Health facilities, 3 years after pandemic started

Intermountain Health announced wearing masks will become optional for visitors and patients beginning March 15, following an anticipated decline in respiratory illnesses.

1 year ago

Sponsored Articles

Stack of old laptops with dark background...

PC Laptops

Old Laptop Upgrades You Need to Try Before Throwing it Away

Get the most out of your investment. Try these old laptop upgrades before throwing it out to keep it running fast and efficient.

Happy diverse college or university students are having fun on their graduation day...

BYU MBA at the Marriott School of Business

How to Choose What MBA Program is Right for You: Take this Quiz Before You Apply!

Wondering what MBA program is right for you? Take this quiz before you apply to see if it will help you meet your goals.

Close up of an offset printing machine during production...

Les Olson IT

Top 7 Reasons to Add a Production Printer to Your Business

Learn about the different digital production printers and how they can help your company save time and money.

vintage photo of lighting showroom featuring chandeliers, lamps, wall lights and mirrors...

Lighting Design

History of Lighting Design | Over 25 Years of Providing Utah With the Latest Trends and Styles

Read about the history of Lighting Design, a family-owned and operated business that paved the way for the lighting industry in Utah.

Fiber Optical cables connected to an optic ports and Network cables connected to ethernet ports...

Brian Huston, CE and Anthony Perkins, BICSI

Why Every Business Needs a Structured Cabling System

A structured cabling system benefits businesses by giving you faster processing speeds and making your network more efficient and reliable.

notebook with password notes highlighted...

PC Laptops

How to Create Strong Passwords You Can Actually Remember

Learn how you can create strong passwords that are actually easy to remember! In a short time you can create new ones in seconds.

Utah reports 120 COVID cases, 6 additional deaths