Perspective can be an interesting phenomenon. Utah’s latest coronavirus daily case count, 263 as of Tuesday, would have sent hearts racing back in May when the seven-day rolling average hovered around 150. In the shadows of July, where several days spiked into the 800s, this week’s news feels refreshing.
Moving toward fall offers another perspective. Thousands of Utah’s students are returning to the classroom — at least for part of the week. Nobody yet knows how well COVID-19 spreads inside crowded hallways or how readily substitute teachers will step forward or how parents will manage a quarantined child.
Heat waves won’t last forever, either; cool autumn air ushers in a flu season that this year will be laced with another deadly pathogen.
This juncture between the height of summer and the promise of fall is a good time to look back while looking forward and commit to adjusting what needs tweaking.
Masks, social distancing and amended safety procedures for businesses are slowly working their way into daily life. That should stay. Those measures have proven their worth in the past few weeks as they have no doubt contributed to waning case counts.
And while we welcome those numbers, we know case counts by themselves are incomplete metrics. The positivity rate, at least, remains close to or below 10%, even as the number of tests diminish. Health officials are cautiously optimistic that means fewer Utahns are experiencing symptoms.
Still, is there a better way for the state to communicate key numbers that appeal to the majority of Utahns hoping for clarity on how to navigate daily life? We’re grateful, at least, the governor updated the state’s color-coded guidelines from “risk levels” to “levels of restriction.” The former inadvertently communicated lesser degrees of risk as the state moved from red to orange to yellow. Risk remains at any level, and personal precautions should reflect that.
We also know of residents who resist getting tested for various reasons. Some are afraid contact tracers will find out they weren’t exactly following the states guidelines. Others are rightfully concerned they can’t afford missing a paycheck if they receive a positive test and are forced to quarantine for 14 days.
Testing is requisite for slowing the spread; it gives a wealth of information for health care workers and epidemiologists. Residents shouldn’t have to choose between paying bills and helping their community reduce the spread of the virus. How can the state remove deterrents to testing? What support systems can officials put in place to help symptomatic residents who are fearful of the consequences?
And aiding underserved populations continues to be an incomplete objective. Recent numbers suggest the Latino community makes up 37.7% of Utah’s cases but just 14.2% of its population. It also accounts for 22.9% of the state’s COVID-19 deaths. How will local and national lawmakers ensure relief, education and medical resources are in place for that population?
Five months removed from the start of the pandemic in the United States, perspective begins to solidify. With concerted individual effort, clearer communications and a raw realism of what the fall will bring, Utah can meet the next few months head on.