HEALTH

A quarter of the COVID-19 cases in Utah today are among school-age children

UPDATED: SEPTEMBER 9, 2021 AT 1:35 PM

Healthcare workers care for a COVID-19 patient in the ICU at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray. (Intermountain Healthcare)

BY BECKY BRUCE
News Director

SALT LAKE CITY — More than 25% of the COVID-19 cases reported in Utah on Thursday occurred among children between the ages of 5 and 17, according to the latest numbers from health officials.

COVID-19 and school-age children in Utah

The Utah Department of Health reported 2,165 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, for a total of 477,790 since the pandemic began.

In addition, the agency reported 516 Utahns required hospitalization for COVID-19 on Thursday. Another 10 Utahns died as the result of coronavirus.

Utah health officials said of the 2,165 new cases of COVID-19, 544 or 25.12% occurred among school-age children. Broken down, there were 231 new cases among children ages 5 – 10, 152 new cases among children ages 11 – 13, and 161 new cases among teens ages 14 – 17.

Vaccines and risk assessment

19,255 more Utahns received the COVID-19 vaccine in the latest UDOH numbers. To date, health officials in the state have administered 3,315,722 vaccine doses.

According to the health department, for the last 28 days, the risk of coming down with COVID-19 is 4.5 times greater for unvaccinated Utahns. For hospitalization, the risk to the unvaccinated is 5.2 times greater than that of vaccinated Utahns. And health officials report unvaccinated Utahns face 5.3 times greater risk of death than vaccinated Utahns.

Rolling averages and trends

According to UDOH, the rolling 7-day average for positive COVID-19 tests in Utah is 1,431 per day.

Health officials report an increase of 17,441 Utahns tested for COVID-19 since the day before, and an increase of 27,882 tests performed.

That means the rolling 7-day average of people testing positive in Utah is 12.3%, and the rolling 7-day average of total positive test results is 9.2%.

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.
Seek out the COVID-19 vaccine.