More than 10% of Utah’s population has now had COVID-19
Feb 3, 2021, 1:14 PM | Updated: 3:23 pm
A COVID-19 testing clinic at UVU. More than one in 10 Utahns have tested positive for COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic a year ago. (File photo via KSL-TV)
(File photo via KSL-TV)
SALT LAKE CITY — More than 10% of the population of Utah has tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 365 days — but the milestone comes as case counts and hospitalizations continue to drop in the state. That means one in 10 Utahns has had the virus.
Wednesday, the Utah Department of Health reported 350,000 total cases of COVID-19 in the state since the beginning of the pandemic a year ago.
State health officials say case counts continue to trend in the right direction in Utah. They announced Wednesday 1,591 new cases to bring the state to 350,000. They report a rolling seven-day average of 16.6% positive test rate or 1,334 positive results per day.
Currently, 352 people require hospital treatment for COVID-19 in Utah. And 119 of those patients received intensive care.
To date, 345,179 vaccine doses have been administered. The state estimates 312,872 Utahns may have had the virus and recovered. However, that number does not account for potential long-term cases known as COVID long haulers.
What we know about COVID among the Utah population
350,000 people represents just over 10% of the population of Utah diagnosed with COVID-19. Just over 3.2 million people call Utah home.
According to data provided by the Utah Department of Health, every age group represented in the state population has been impacted by COVID-19 in the last 12 months. In that time frame, the state reports more than 1,000 patients under the age of 1, more than 30,000 patients between the ages of 1 and 14, more than 80,000 patients between the ages of 15 and 24, just shy of 125,000 in the 25-44 age bracket, over 78,000 between ages 45 and 64, over 25,000 between the ages of 65 and 84 and just over 3,000 patients 85 and older.
Chart: Utah Department of Health
By sheer numbers, the age group with the most cases of COVID-19 in Utah in the last year was age 25 through 44. But patients over the age of 65 are much more likely to wind up in the hospital or to face death.
Chart: Utah Department of Health
More than 5,100 Utahns over the age of 65 were hospitalized due to COVID-19 in the last 365 days, which is one thousand more than the next nearest age group. The same age range accounts for 1,312 deaths to date out of the state’s 1,697 so far.
The state’s latest COVID-19 data remains available on its coronavirus website here.
How To Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 Coronavirus
COVID-19 coronavirus spreads person to person, similar to the common cold and the flu. So, to prevent it from spreading:
- Wash hands frequently and thoroughly, with soap and water, for at least 20 seconds.
- Don’t touch your face.
- Wear a mask to protect yourself and others per CDC recommendations.
- Keep children and those with compromised immune systems away from someone who is coughing or sneezing (in this instance, at least six feet).
- If there is an outbreak near you, practice social distancing (stay at home, instead of going to the movies, sports events, or other activities).
- Obtain a flu shot.
Local resources
Utah’s Coronavirus Information
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Utah Coronavirus Information Line – 1-800-456-7707
National Resources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Commonly asked questions, World Health Organization
