Officials Confirm 3rd Coronavirus Case In Utah

SALT LAKE CITY — A Summit County man has been confirmed as the third person in the state of Utah to be infected with the coronavirus.

Officials with the Utah Department of Health and the Summit County Health Department made the announcement just before 3 p.m. Wednesday.

They said the patient is an adult male younger than 60 years old who recently traveled to Europe and had close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case.

Utah's third confirmed case was tested when they called their clinician, who identified they were at-risk for COVID-19. They were then tested curbside using an ARUP test. Testing capacity is increasing and streamlining in Utah — more details on that soon. https://t.co/nJogyVTrjw

— Gary R. Herbert (@GovHerbert) March 11, 2020

Health officials said they will be looking at the people he came in close contact with and monitoring them for fever and respiratory symptoms.

“Residents and visitors of Summit County can be assured that we’ve expected and prepared for COVID-19 in our community. The system of identifying, reporting, and now isolating the case has worked flawlessly,” said Dr. Rich Bullough, director of the SCHD. “In partnership with the UDOH and our local healthcare network, the Summit County Health Department will continue our response to COVID-19 in Summit County and will continue to communicate openly and honestly with the public. We encourage residents and visitors not to be alarmed, but to take regular but important preventive health precautions such as correct hand-washing and staying home when sick.”

The patient called his health care provider and told them about his symptoms and recent travels. Clinicians from University of Utah Health said they were prepared for his visit having collected a sample from the patient before he entered the facility.

The case is considered to be a “presumptive positive” until the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention can conduct further tests.

“The system worked just as we hoped it would. We continue to emphasize the importance of calling your provider first if you suspect you may have COVID-19,” said Dr. Thomas Miller, Chief Medical Officer, University of Utah Health. “This enables us to help control the spread of this virus and better protect our patients, our staff and the community.”

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How Do I Prevent It?

The CDC has some simple recommendations, most of which are the same for preventing other respiratory illnesses or the flu:

• Avoid close contact with people who may be sick
• Avoid touching your face
• Stay home when you are sick
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue and then throw the tissue in the trash
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. Always wash your hands with soap and water if your hands are visibly dirty.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

The CDC does not recommend wearing a facemask respirator to protect yourself from coronavirus unless a healthcare professional recommends it.