Why University of Utah Health says omicron is still stressing hospitals

College of Utah Well being staff deal with sufferers contained in the medical intensive care unit at College of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake Metropolis on July 30, 2021. Utah’s COVID-19 circumstances are falling quick however are nonetheless excessive in comparison with the final surge and proceed to emphasize hospitals at the same time as the potential of new variants looms, College of Utah Well being officers stated Tuesday.

Charlie Ehlert, College of Utah Well being Care

Utah’s COVID-19 circumstances are falling quick however are nonetheless excessive in comparison with the final surge, and proceed to emphasize hospitals at the same time as the potential of new variants looms College of Utah Well being officers stated Tuesday, because the state begins a newly introduced transition towards coping with the lethal virus just like the flu or different endemic illnesses.

Optimistic exams for COVID-19 are “positively heading within the path of restoration,” dropping 52% since Jan. 21 when all outcomes are included, Erin Clouse, U. Well being strategic engagement supervisor, instructed reporters throughout a digital information convention.

However Clouse cautioned regardless of being on the opposite facet of the height in circumstances pushed by the extremely transmissible omicron variant, “we’re nonetheless at actually excessive charges throughout our state,” akin to what Utah noticed in 2020 and exceeding final fall’s case counts, when the delta variant made the Intermountain West the nation’s sizzling spot for the virus.

So whereas Clouse stated general hospitalizations within the state are down 46% since Jan. 27, from a excessive of nicely over 800 in the course of the omicron surge, the present variety of sufferers continues to be near what occurred throughout earlier peaks over the 2 years of the pandemic.

Later Tuesday, the Utah Division of Well being reported 415 individuals are at present hospitalized with the virus in Utah, with a complete of two,068 new circumstances and 13 further deaths over the lengthy Presidents Day weekend, together with one demise that occurred previous to Jan. 22.

Dr. Kencee Graves, U. Well being affiliate chief medical officer for inpatient well being, stated COVID-19 continues to have an effect on each suppliers and sufferers.

“Issues are hectic right here within the hospital,” Graves stated. “This morning, we solely have just a few open acute care beds and many individuals may want these beds. Our ERs are busy, as are our acute care models. So I might say whereas COVID could also be waning in our group, we nonetheless do see results right here within the hospital.”

There are each direct and oblique results of COVID-19, she stated, on sufferers “who've worsening psychological well being, who've worsening bodily well being, who've delayed care, who had a surgical procedure postponed,” in addition to on the medical employees who’ve have needed to deal with the trauma related to the virus day in and day trip.

Stephen Goldstein, a postdoctoral researcher on the U. Faculty of Medication, stated new variants will be anticipated to emerge “over the course of the subsequent a number of years and past.” To date, he stated there’s solely been a “slight improve” within the omicron subvariant often called BA.2 to scientists and dubbed “stealth” omicron by others.

“At this level, we’re not experiencing a brand new wave of infections because of this subvariant. We’ll see if that continues to be the case,” Goldstein stated, noting it’s already develop into extra prevalent and even dominant in some elements of the world.

The variety of BA.2 circumstances sequenced from constructive COVID-19 take a look at samples by the Utah Division of Well being laboratory has elevated to 21 as of Tuesday, up from seven final week. The subvariant was first detected in Utah in January.

The replace was the primary from a well being care system since Gov. Spencer Cox stated Friday that between now and the finish of March, the Utah Division of Well being would discontinue COVID-19 testing for all however probably the most weak Utahns in addition to day by day stories on the virus’ unfold.

The governor stated the shift within the state’s pandemic response to what he referred to as “a manageable danger mannequin,” the place it’s as much as Utahns to resolve for themselves whether or not they should put on a masks, social distance or get vaccinated, doesn't imply the top of COVID-19, and the state could be prepared to answer future outbreaks.

Graves stated Tuesday she’d depart it as much as the state to reply whether or not the state is on monitor to have the ability to deal with COVID-19 like an endemic illness by March 31. Endemic doesn’t essentially imply a illness has develop into much less lethal, solely that outbreaks are restricted in comparison with the worldwide surges seen in a pandemic.

“Most of us acknowledge now that COVID-19 just isn't going to go away, that we're going to must discover a method to reside with it and mitigate danger,” Graves stated, including, the college is taking a look at “how can we greatest begin to get better and have the ability to transfer towards what may appear to be a brand new regular. I can’t touch upon pandemic versus endemic.”

Utah lawmakers all however declared the pandemic was over within the spring of 2021, with laws that ended a statewide masks mandate and made it tough for native authorities to impose one. When Salt Lake and Summit counties tried on the peak of the omicron surge, lawmakers overturned their mandates.

Now, almost each different state is ending masks and vaccine mandates, actions that Graves stated make the danger of getting COVID-19 “doubtlessly excessive” particularly amongst Utahns who aren't vaccinated and boosted towards the virus. Simply 26.5% of all Utahns have gotten each the preliminary doses and a booster shot.

“We're going to should be a little bit versatile as we transfer ahead,” she stated.

Goldstein stated masks and social distancing will “proceed to be vital instruments that we will use on a person foundation to mitigate our dangers.” An N95 masks may make sense throughout a wave of the virus, he stated however “there might be different occasions when circumstances are fairly low when you cannot have to fret an excessive amount of about that.”

The identical is true of consuming in eating places and going to occasions like live shows, Goldstein stated.

“It’s actually going to return down, I feel from this level ahead, to private danger calculations,” he stated. “I feel personally these instruments will nonetheless have an vital function to play in occasions when the circulation of the virus is excessive, however I additionally assume that hopefully that might be a much less fixed concern.”

Individuals within the U. Well being information convention wore masks, together with at occasions after they have been talking.