Health Dept. estimates at least 30% of COVID-19 cases in Utah are Omicron

COVID - 19 Photo: Utah Department of Health

PARK CITY, Utah — “We estimate at least 30% of cases in Utah may now be Omicron, as of Mon., Dec. 20,” the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) said on Wednesday.

“While our public dashboard only shows 7 confirmed cases of Omicron, it’s very likely that we have far more cases of Omicron in the state based on what we know about this variant right now.” The estimate is based on PCR tests conducted at Intermountain Healthcare.

“It’s likely we will see more breakthrough cases with Omicron; however, what we know right now, is vaccination and booster shots still offer the best protection against severe illness from COVID-19. The CDC and the UDOH strongly recommend adults 16 and older get booster doses when they are eligible (6 months after receiving their Pfizer or Moderna shots, or 2 months after receiving their Johnson & Johnson shot).”

Find where you can get a vaccine in Utah.

Also on Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the use of the first oral antiviral for treatment of COVID-19. The authorization allows the pills (Paxlovid) to be used to treat mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults and pediatric patients (12 years and older who weigh at least 88 pounds) who are at high risk for hospitalization and death.

Utah’s initial allocation will be 440 units or just enough to treat 440 people. UDOH said the state doesn’t have its allocation yet, so none of the medication is currently available. Distribution is controlled by the federal government.

“This medication will be in very limited supplies for some time and will go to those individuals who are most at risk for being hospitalized from COVID-19. We are working with providers across the state to determine the most equitable allocation strategies given this scarce resource,” said Kevin McCulley, preparedness and response director with the UDOH.

Facts from UDOH about the pills:

• Paxlovid is not authorized to be used for patients who need to be hospitalized due to severe COVID-19.
• It is not to be used for pre-exposure or post-exposure prophylaxis for the prevention of COVID-19.
• Paxlovid should not be used for longer than five days.
• It may only be prescribed for an individual patient by physicians, advanced practice registered nurses, and physician assistants who are authorized under Utah law to prescribe drugs in the anti-infective therapeutic class.
• There are some serious health conditions that may disqualify someone from receiving the treatment, so check with your healthcare provider to see if you might benefit from the prescription.

“We are learning more about how to treat COVID-19 everyday. Things are changing quickly, especially with the emergence of Omicron, and some treatments we’ve had up until this point may not be as effective against the Omicron variant as they have been with other variants. Talk to your healthcare provider to see what treatment is best for you if you’ve recently tested positive for COVID-19,” McCulley said.