Coronavirus/COVID Update

Sharing below this week's COVID-19 update by Dr. Michael Good, CEO of University of Utah Heath.

The good news is that COVID-19 cases on the University of Utah campus have been quite low, with an average rate so far of 9.1 per week.  We now have 83% of University employees and 70% of students fully vaccinated.  Another 6% of students are partially vaccinated.  Let's push these numbers higher and continue to mask.  I thank the students enrolled in my class for their consistent masking.  They have made the semester easier and less stressful for me and I suspect their fellow classmates.    

The bad news is that the coronavirus continues to rage through the unvaccinated population in Utah. Hospitalizations and ICU levels are now almost as high as they were during the peak of the pandemic last fall and winter.  Cases amongst children (1-14 years old) are much higher this fall than last.  In contrast, cases and hospitalizations amongst the vaccinated are much lower and the former has even begun to go down the past couple of weeks, perhaps due to adjustments in activities and behavior or greater masking amongst the vaccinated.  

I have blogged previously about the threats of digital misinformation to society (see Challenges of Science Communication in the 21st Century, posted just before coronavirus exploded in the U.S.).  We are seeing this playing out now.