1. You may need a COVID-19 test before you go.

Some destinations require a COVID-19 test before arrival, and different destinations require different types of tests. It’s your responsibility to know which type of test is required for your destination. If you’re flying, your airline is a great source for this information.

Traveler testing at these two sites is free for Utah residents with proof of residency (state-issued identification, utility statement, credit card statement, tax notice, etc.). People who are not residents of Utah will be charged a $179 fee for rapid PCR tests (credit card only); however, PCR and rapid antigen tests will be provided free of charge.  You also must show proof of travel, such as a boarding pass or other travel documents, and proof of Utah residence to receive the free rapid PCR test.

Some travel destinations may also require testing to be done at specific testing locations or include QR codes linked to results and CLIA information. At this time, the two state travel testing sites do not include QR codes or CLIA information.

You can also get tested at other COVID-19 testing locations or at private testing companies. Just make sure you’re getting the type of test that will be accepted at your destination.

Learn more about travel testing here:

2. Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself from COVID-19.

Travel increases your risk of being exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19. Make sure you’re fully vaccinated before you travel. If you’re already fully vaccinated, the CDC recommends getting a booster before you travel.

If you’re not fully vaccinated and you plan to travel, take precautions to protect yourself and others: wear a mask, physical distance, wash your hands often, and try to avoid touching things other people touch. Bring hand sanitizer and disposable wipes with you in case you do not have soap and water to wash your hands.

3. Be aware of COVID-19 requirements, policies, and restrictions at your destination and for your return trip.

The CDC has helpful information for people traveling within the United States, internationally, or on cruise ships: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html.

The CDC also provides a list of travel recommendations based on how much COVID-19 is spreading in a country at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/map-and-travel-notices.html.

If you’re traveling internationally by air, you’ll need to get a COVID-19 test in order to return to the United States or show proof of recovery from COVID-19 within the last 90 days, even if you’re fully vaccinated. Get the test no more than one day before your return flight. You’ll need to show your negative test result to board.

More information on testing for air passengers flying into the United States: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/testing-international-air-travelers.html.

The CDC recommends you get tested after returning from international travel. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/international-travel-during-covid19.html#anchor_1634925927097.

Celebrate the holidays safely

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Let’s be clear, elected officials do not decide when a pandemic is “over.” COVID-19 will remain in our society long after the official “pandemic” period has passed. These bills represent balancing the desire by the Legislature to decrease restrictions across the state with the need to remain diligent in protecting the health of all Utahns. 

Broken down, this is what each of these bills mean to the COVID-19 response: 

HB 294 – “Pandemic Emergency Powers Amendments” 

Signed by Governor Cox on 3/24/21

This bill ends certain restrictions put into place by executive and public health orders related to COVID-19. The termination of those restrictions is based on specific, data driven milestones; for example, case rates, ICU utilization, and vaccine availability . 

The final version of the bill says restrictions will end once Utah’s 14-day case rate reaches a level below 191 per 100,000, the state’s ICU seven-day hospitalization rate is less than 15%, and at least 1.63 million prime doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been allocated to the state. While we anticipate these thresholds will be met by July 1, 2021, should we see another spike in cases, public health officials will work with Utah’s elected leaders to implement appropriate safety measures after this date. 

The bill removes the statewide mask mandate on April 10 regardless of meeting the metrics stated above. However, masks can still be required for group gatherings of more than 50 people. County governments still have the ability to enact local restrictions if they choose. These local restrictions would end once the state meets the metrics previously stated. 

The bill also allows private businesses the ability to keep mask requirements in place if they choose. Please be respectful of business owners and staff at businesses that choose to require masks in their buildings. Likewise, please be respectful of individuals who don’t feel it necessary to wear masks where they’re not required. 

The bill also keeps in place the mask mandate and other safety measures for public K-12 schools until, at the latest, July 1, 2021. School districts should continue to work with their local health departments to ensure the health and safety of all of Utah’s school aged children. 

Even after statewide restrictions and mask mandates have been lifted, guidance set forth in the Utah Transmission Index, COVID-19 Business Manual, COVID-19 School Manual and on the Protect Yourself page related to quarantine and isolation is valuable and should be considered when meeting with others outside your household. The Utah Department of Health still encourages the use of face masks as an effective way to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 

You can read the full bill here. 

SB 107 – “In-Person Instruction Prioritization”

Signed by Governor Cox on 3/24/21

This bill is intended to keep schools open and kids in the classroom. It requires the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) to support widespread testing under certain conditions so that schools can continue to operate in-person. 

So-called “soft-closures” are no longer be allowed. Public health departments would assist school districts in conducting “Test to Stay” procedures when schools have reached the following points in cases: 

• 2% positivity if schools have 1,500+ students

-OR-

• 30 positive cases if schools have fewer than 1,500 students

Schools could choose to implement “Test to Stay” prior to meeting the above threshold.

As part of the  “Test to Stay” process, school districts must have a parent’s permission to test students younger than 18. 

In addition, the bill would require schools to offer in-person instruction at least 4 days a week starting March 21, 2021. 

You can read the full bill here.

SB 195 – “Emergency Response Amendments” 

Signed by Governor Cox on 3/24/21

This bill changes the process by which the governor and UDOH can declare emergency situations in the state. The intent is to ensure state and locally elected officials are involved with the decisions around a state of emergency, especially when an extended response might be required.  

Under this bill, UDOH is required to provide at least a 24-hour notice to the Legislative Emergency Response Committee before declaring a Public Health Emergency (PHE) or issuing an Order of Constraint (OC). An OC is described as a rule or order that limits public activities. 

Following that process, this bill allows the Legislature, by Joint Resolution, to overturn a PHE Order/Declaration/or OC at any time. This bill also authorizes the Legislature to cancel any emergency declarations made by the governor by the same process. 

This bill also places a 30-day maximum time limit on any PHE or OC starting the day that it is issued. The Legislature may extend any of those orders as well. The UDOH and the governor do have the ability to extend a PHE or State of Emergency on their own when certain “exigent circumstances” arise (exigent circumstances are defined in section 52-2a-203 of the bill). The UDOH must give the state Legislature at least 10 days notice before they intend to extend a PHE. This does not prohibit the UDOH from issuing a subsequent PHE after the original one expires, but it will be subject to the same expiration time frame and legislative override. Also, if the Legislature does override any PHE, one cannot be reissued for the same circumstances. 

This bill also creates a legislative response committee to review emergency declarations and situations that could result in a long-term emergency situation for the state.  

These same rules are applied to local emergency declarations and orders as well, meaning a county can only declare an emergency or put an order in place if they’ve first given at least 24-hour notice to their county elected officials. 

You can read the full bill here.

As the state of Utah continues its COVID-19 vaccination program, the Utah Poison Control Center has partnered with the Utah Department of Health to help the public get advice on any side effects they may experience from a COVID-19 vaccine.

Recently, rumors on social media have circulated that poison centers say that COVID-19 vaccines are unsafe.

At the Utah Poison Control Center, our team of physicians, pharmacists, and nurses trained in toxicology all fully support the ongoing efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccinate all eligible individuals in Utah.

The American College of Medical Toxicology and American Academy of Emergency Medicine, two nationally-recognized physician groups, announced their support for COVID-19 vaccines as safe and effective.

We echo their statement and also strongly recommend vaccination with the currently authorized COVID-19 vaccines.

While the vaccines do cause side effects such as pain, swelling, fatigue, and fever, these symptoms are generally mild and go away within 1-2 days.

Rarely, vaccines may cause severe allergic reactions called anaphylaxis. The number of patients experiencing anaphylaxis from COVID-19 vaccines is similar to other vaccines such as the influenza vaccine (https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7008e3.htm).

The Utah Poison Control Center is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by healthcare professionals trained in toxicology and vaccine side effects to answer questions about adverse effects from COVID-19 vaccines.

Additionally, patients may use the CDC V-safe platform (vsafe.cdc.gov) to report side effects to the CDC. We encourage healthcare professionals to use the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS vaers.hss.gov) to report adverse events related to COVID-19 vaccines.

The Utah Poison Control Center can be reached at any time at 1-800-222-1222.

“Contact tracing is an important part of how public health responds and stops disease outbreaks. People who have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19 are more at risk of getting infected and making others sick,” said Navina Forsythe, director of the Utah Department of Health Center for Health Data and Informatics. “Exposure Notifications is a form of electronic contact tracing that uses encrypted or anonymous tokens exchanged through your phone and the phones of those around you to keep an encrypted log of who you’ve been in contact with. The service doesn’t track the location of the smartphone user and instead relies on anonymized interactions through Bluetooth technology.”

When two people have activated Exposure Notifications on their smartphones and come in close proximity to one another, they exchange anonymized “tokens” that log that close interaction for 14 days. A verification code is sent to individuals who test positive for COVID-19 by the Utah Department of Health. That code can then be entered into the Exposure Notification system by the individual who tests positive to alert others who came into close contact with them that they were possibly exposed to COVID-19. Anyone who was possibly exposed will be asked to watch for symptoms of COVID-19 and get tested. Users of Exposure Notification never know the identities of the person who tested positive or who was notified about a possible exposure.

“The success of Exposure Notification is dependent on how many people opt in to the service,” said Forsythe. “Modeling has produced estimates that if just 15% of a population uses Exposure Notifications, that in combination with manual contact tracing, there can be up to a 15% reduction in COVID-19 infections and 11% fewer deaths. A higher percentage of participation can lead to even greater reductions in disease.”

To learn more about Exposure Notifications Express, visit https://coronavirus.utah.gov/exposure-notifications/.

The first changes is to the percent positivity threshold levels. Last week UDOH announced a change in the way they will calculate percent positivity to more closely align with the way most other states are calculating the percent of positive COVID-19 cases. Previously Utah had been using a “people over people” method. Beginning next Thursday, February 18, the 7-day average percent positivity metric used to determine levels of transmission will transition to the “test over test” percent positivity metric.

Because the “test over test” percent positivity skews lower than the previous “people over people” method, the range for percent positivity in the Transmission Index will shift lower. A 7-day average percent positivity of greater than 10% will belong to the “high” transmission category; a percent positivity between 5.1%-9.9% will belong to the “moderate” transmission category; and a percent positivity of 5% or less will belong to the “low” transmission category.

Additionally, changes will be made to the actions individuals and businesses should take in areas of “moderate” and “low” transmission. A transmission level (high, moderate, low) is determined if a county has two of the three metrics in the designated level of transmission.

Public gathering requirements in areas of “moderate” transmission will be changed.

• In these areas, public gatherings, such as live events, movie theaters, sporting events, weddings, recreation, and entertainment (does not apply to an individual attending or participating in a religious service), may occur with side-by-side seating as long as the event host completes the event template and all patrons are wearing masks, are assigned seating, and attest to not having any COVID-19 symptoms or exposures in the past 14 days.
• Concessions stands must be closed in “moderate” due to increased risk that occurs with more people in attendance and when masks are removed to eat or drink.
• Physical distancing between household groups is still strongly recommended at these venues.

In areas of “low” transmission, masks will be required and event templates must be completed by hosts, but no other restrictions are placed on these events.

For more information on the COVID-19 Transmission Index, including what businesses and individuals can do to help limit the spread of disease, visit coronavirus-stage.at.utah.gov/utah-health-guidance-levels.

A new report from the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) shows the impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on Utahns’ mental and behavioral health. While the long term consequences of the pandemic will take time to understand, preliminary data shows no significant increases in suicides, mental distress, or drug overdoses thus far. Public health experts believe the state’s existing mental health and substance use resources may be an integral reason why suicides and drug overdoses have not increased.

“The pandemic has impacted Utahns in significant ways, yet this report shows Utahns are resilient,” said Gov. Spencer Cox. “Despite these difficult times, there is hope. We are not powerless to the difficult circumstances around us. I encourage all Utahns to continue to lift each other up and provide the support we all need during these challenging times.”

The report shows deaths from drug overdoses remained stable throughout the first 39 weeks of 2020, were consistent with drug overdose death counts in 2019, and were lower than drug overdose death deaths in 2018. 

“Years of statewide overdose prevention efforts have led to significant declines in opioid overdose death rates since 2016. It’s clear the efforts of prevention experts, policy makers, healthcare providers, state and local government officials, and every day citizens have helped us adapt and continue providing services to those in crisis,” said Cox. 

In addition, preliminary data show the overall trend of suicide ideation and suicide attempts have remained stable in Utah. The number of suicide deaths did not increase in the first 39 weeks of 2020 (the latest data available); the number of suicide deaths in Utah is consistent with the previous three years. “We have seen modestly declining suicide rates in Utah since 2017-18, despite suicide rates continuing to rise across the country. And, fortunately, the pandemic doesn’t appear to have impacted our progress,” said Amy Mikkelsen, suicide prevention coordinator at the UDOH.

The full report can be downloaded at https://coronavirus.utah.gov/Mental-health/.

Other key findings from the report:

• The number of drug overdoses reported to emergency departments remained stable through the first 50 weeks of 2020. 
• Syringe service utilization increased in the first eight months of 2020 (compared to 2019), but this increase is likely due to expansion of services across the state. Syringe services are an essential service that continues to be used during the pandemic. 
• There was no significant difference in the rate of Utah adults reporting frequent mental distress from March through August of 2019 compared with the same time period in 2020 (13.5% and 13.4%, respectively).
• Calls to the Suicide Prevention CrisisLine increased throughout the first 10 months of 2020, but this growth is similar to increases in previous years. 
• While there isn’t information available on an increased volume of domestic violence related calls on a statewide level, anecdotal evidence from local law enforcement and victim service agencies seem to indicate an escalation of family violence.

“This data suggests that interventions and treatment during the pandemic have remained as effective as in previous years, even in the face of a sudden shift to primarily telehealth and services,” said Kimberly Myers, assistant director of the Utah Department of Human Services Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health. “If you are struggling, get help. It’s safe to go to your doctor, urgent care, primary care provider, pharmacist, and therapist. Nearly every health care provider has the ability to meet with patients virtually.” 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) is the week of the epidemiologic year assigned by the reporting local or state health department for the purposes of MMWR disease incidence reporting and publishing. Much of the data in the report is presented by MMWR week. Specifically, the data was analyzed in the following time periods:

• MMWR Weeks 1-12: Pre-COVID-19 Interventions (December 29, 2019—March 21, 2020) – this time period was prior to Utah specific closures and directives 
• MMWR Weeks 12-36: COVID-19 Interventions (March 22, 2020—September 5, 2020) – this time period was when Utah specific closures and directives were issued, including the “Stay Safe Stay Home” directive
• MMWR Weeks 37-50: COVID-19 Surge (September 6,2020—December 12, 2020) – this was the time period of several surges in cases, hospitalizations, and deaths leading to increased interventions

“We are fortunate to have a robust data system in place to monitor trends in social and behavioral health outcomes,” noted Michael Staley, suicide prevention research coordinator with the UDOH Office of the Medical Examiner. “We must remain vigilant. We are still in the midst of a pandemic and there is work for every Utahn ahead. As much as we are relieved that suicides and overdoses have not increased yet, suicide rates remain high. Experts predict that the impact of the pandemic can occur much later, after the pandemic ends. We must continue to strengthen the prevention infrastructure and work together to end suicide.”

If you or a loved one are experiencing thoughts of suicide or crisis, help is available. Reach out and talk to a professional at the Utah Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255. The Live On campaign also provides resources and help for those struggling with suicidal thoughts, behaviors, or loss at https://liveonutah.org/.

A list of mental health and substance use resources and providers can be found by contacting your insurance provider or visiting https://dsamh.utah.gov/ contact/location-map. 

Despite the ongoing pandemic, there are a number of people who are not aware of the dire situation we find ourselves in.

Today, we will issue a single Wireless Emergency Alert statewide as a brief interruption to make sure nearly everyone is aware of the serious nature of the pandemic.

The alert will feature the following text:

State of Utah: COVID-19 is spreading rapidly. Record cases. Almost every county is a high transmission area. Hospitals are nearly overwhelmed. By public health order, masks are required in high transmission areas. Social gatherings are limited to 10 or fewer. Visit coronavirus-stage.at.utah.gov/utah-health-guidance-levels to see your county’s information. Be careful!

FAQs and known concerns

What areas are going to be alerted?
This alert will be sent statewide.

Who will receive the alert?
The alert is intended to go to everyone within the state of Utah who has a WEA-capable mobile phone. Because the technology for sending the alert is not perfect and not all phones have the same alerting protocols built in, some people may not receive the alert directly.

How long will the alert be active?
The alert will become active at 2 p.m. on Friday, October 30, 2020, and will remain active for 15 minutes. This should mitigate the repeat alert problem we’ve seen with alerts deployed for long durations.

What do I do if I receive the alert?
Please visit the website link in the alert to become familiar with the different transmission levels in the state. Our goal is to slow the spread of COVID-19 so we don’t overwhelm our healthcare system.

If you’d like to participate in our survey to measure the effectiveness and reach of the alert, please take our survey here: https://forms.gle/Xy3r46sCpKBge2wv9

What if I didn’t receive the alert on my phone?
There are a number of reasons this can happen and they are outside of the State’s control.

• You may have opted out of receiving government alerts.
• Your phone may not be capable of receiving the alerts or the full message. Verizon has a list of WEA-capable phones here and the level of WEA capability they have. Most carriers have the same list of phones
• Your carrier may not have sent the alert appropriately.
• You may have been out of range of a cell phone tower that was broadcasting the alert.
• Your nearest cell phone tower may not have correctly transmitted the alert.
• You may have been using a significant amount of data or been on a phone call at the time and the alert did not interrupt that data stream.
• Your phone may have been off.
• Help us provide feedback to the FCC by taking our survey here: https://forms.gle/Xy3r46sCpKBge2wv9

How accurate is the targeting of these messages?
Because the technology is not perfect, sometimes people who are miles away from an intended area may receive the alert. Sometimes people may not receive an alert. We tend to have a problem in Utah with Verizon phones not receiving these alerts. Help us provide feedback to the FCC by taking our survey here: https://forms.gle/Xy3r46sCpKBge2wv9

What will the alert sound like?
Phones that are WEA-capable will make unique tones and vibrations that may be similar to the Emergency Alert System tests seen on TV. If your phone is on silent, you will not hear the tones.

What good is it going to do?
Remember, coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is deadly for some. It causes severe symptoms in others. The number of people who are being hospitalized is unsustainable. If we can just get this message in everyone’s hands, we believe more people will take action to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Though many people have experienced mild cases of the disease, we need to err on the side of caution and protect those around us who may be more vulnerable by wearing a mask, limiting our social gatherings and getting tested when we have symptoms.

You can learn more about keeping yourself and others safe at coronavirus-stage.at.utah.gov and by following UtahCoronavirus on Twitter and Facebook.

What data do you have about me?
The State of Utah receives no data about the cell phone owners who receive this message. WEAs are sent using cell broadcast technology, which pushes information to cell phone towers, delivers the information to cell phones in range and does not report back how many users receive the message.

You remain anonymous to us.

What if I have questions?
For health-related questions about coronavirus, contact the Coronavirus Information Line at 1-800-456-7707.
For emotional relief and support, please call 1-833-442-2211.
Please also visit coronavirus-stage.at.utah.gov.
To provide feedback on the quality of the alert, please fill out our survey here. https://forms.gle/Xy3r46sCpKBge2wv9

These recommendations are to help you make informed decisions and do not take the place of any state or local health or safety guidelines. Before planning any type of holiday gathering or activity, you should check The Utah Health Guidance Level for your community. You can find information for your community at: https://coronavirus.utah.gov/utah-health-guidance-levels/.

For Trick-or-Treaters

• A costume mask does not replace a cloth mask.
• Make your cloth mask part of your costume.
• Consider wearing a Halloween-themed face covering. Halloween masks do not protect against COVID-19.
• Do NOT wear a costume mask over a cloth mask. It can make breathing more difficult.
• Masks should NOT be worn by children younger than the age of 2 or anyone who has trouble breathing.

Stay at least 6 feet away from others who do not live in your home.

Indoors and outdoors, you are more likely to get or spread COVID-19 when you are in close contact with others for a long time.

Trick-or-treating

Trick-or-treating is mostly done outside. It is a much better option than an indoor gathering. You can trick-or-treat safely if you wear a cloth face covering and stay at least 6 feet away from people who don’t live in your home.

● Stay at least 6 feet away from others.
● Wait to go up to a door if there is already a group there.
● Don’t stay at any one house for more than a few minutes.
● Don’t let your kids eat their candy before they get home. When you get home, you can wipe the wrappers off with a disinfecting wipe.

Wash your hands

• Bring hand sanitizer with you and use it after touching objects or other people.
• Use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
• Parents: supervise young children using hand sanitizer.
• Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds when you get home and before you eat any treats.

Do not go trick-or-treating, or to a party or other activities if you or someone who lives in your home:

• Has tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 14 days.
• Was exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 14 days.
• Should be in isolation or quarantine.
• Has symptoms of COVID-19.
• Is waiting for COVID-19 test results.
• Is at higher-risk of severe illness from COVID-19.

Know your risk

• Take extra precautions if you are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19, or live or work with someone at higher-risk for severe illness. To find out more about who may be at higher- risk, visit https://coronavirus.utah.gov/protecting-high-risk-individuals/.
• Celebrate virtually or with just the people who live in your home.
• Don’t go to in-person gatherings with people who don’t live in your home or large gatherings with many people.
• If you go to an in-person gathering with people who do not live in your household, try to participate in lower risk activities (see tables below).

For those answering the door:

• Avoid direct contact with trick-or-treaters.
• Give out treats outdoors, if possible.
• Set up a station with individually bagged treats for kids to take.
• Wash hands before handling treats.
• Wear a mask.

Trunk-or-treats:

• Follow the recommendations for trick-or-treating.
• Have trunk-or-treaters go in a one-way direction.
• Park cars at least 6-feet apart. Don’t ride together. Each car should only have people who live in the same home.
• Don’t go to a trunk-or-treat if anyone in your home is at higher-risk.

When you get home:

• Everyone should wash their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds.
• Wipe down candy wrappers with a disinfectant wipe before your child eats anything. Don’t wipe down the candy itself; that would be dangerous.
• Throw away anything that is open, homemade, or is not individually wrapped.

Halloween parties and activities

We don’t recommend having a Halloween party with people who don’t live in your home. If you want to have a Halloween party, keep it small and invite only immediate family members. You can lower the risk and make a Halloween party safer by taking precautions and using strategies to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

If you’re going to a party, here are some things to consider:

• Try to have parties outside. Indoor gatherings have more risk than outdoor ones. This is especially important if people who don’t live in the same homes are eating or drinking.
• Keep your face covering on as much as possible.
• Ask everyone to wash their hands or use hand sanitizer when they get there. Make sure soap and water or hand sanitizer is available.
• Stay at least 6 feet away from other families if you eat or drink. Put your face covering back on right after you are done eating. Any time you take your face covering off, it increases your risk of getting or spreading the virus.
• Do not go to parties where people aren’t wearing face coverings. These have been shown to be extremely high risk for COVID-19 transmission.
• Avoid buffet-style eating. One person should serve food. Each family should sit at a different table.
• Have games or activities kids can do with their masks on. No bobbing for apples this year!

For more information, visit:

https://intermountainhealthcare.org/blogs/topics/covid-19/2020/10/covid-19-how-to-have-a-safe-and-fun-halloween/

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays.html

Puede encontrar información general sobre COVID-19 en nuestra página de Preguntas y Respuestas Frecuentes

COVID-19 en el cuerpo humano

No todos los coronavirus reaccionan igual en el cuerpo humano. Este virus en particular puede llevar al COVID-19, que puede o no producir síntomas en las personas.

Los síntomas más comunes en la gente son:

• Fiebre
• Tos
• Pérdida del sentido del olfato o el gusto
• Dolores musculares o escalofríos
• Dolor de garganta
• Falta de aire

Si tiene estos síntomas, debe hacerse una prueba de COVID-19.

Le cuesta trabajo respirar

Esto es lo que le pasa al cuerpo humano cuando tiene síntomas como los mencionados anteriormente, específicamente, la falta de aire. Estos síntomas pueden aparecer con rapidez. Según la American Lung Association, se cree que los pulmones son el primer órgano afectado por el COVID-19. En los primeros días de un caso de COVID-19, la enfermedad puede atacar células importantes en sus pulmones.

Se cree que el COVID-19 ataca las células epiteliales que recubren las vías respiratorias, que capturan y limpian las partículas como el polen y los virus, inundándolas con residuos y líquidos.

American Lung Association

Si una infección a los pulmones es lo suficientemente grave, puede transformarse en un síndrome de dificultad respiratoria grave (ARDS, por sus siglas en inglés). ARDS significa que el trabajo importante y eficiente que hacen los pulmones normalmente para el cuerpo, eliminar el dióxido de carbono de la sangre y reemplazarlo con oxígeno, está agotado.

Lea más sobre el daño que causa el COVID-19 a los pulmones, incluyendo neumonía y tiempo de recuperación, en Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Una mujer de Chicago que tuvo COVID-19 se está recuperando después de tener un doble trasplante de pulmón en el mes de junio (USA Today, incluye foto del pulmón enfermo)

La respiración normal y saludable no solo lo hace sentir bien. Es una función vital de su cuerpo. ARDS tiene el efecto de ahogarlo, sin estar debajo del agua. El cuerpo comienza a hacer fuerza para respirar, para proveer oxígeno a la sangre y la piel puede empezar a tomar color azulado.

En el mes de abril, el New York Times creó la siguiente visualización y entrevistas para que la gente pudiera ver cómo el COVID-19 ataca los pulmones.

Obviamente, si esto se prolonga lo suficiente sin una resolución, una condición grave conocida como sepsis puede establecerse y los órganos sedientos de oxígeno empiezan a fallar, y se produce la muerte.

“Nunca he visto algo así”

El Washington Post informó en el mes de julio que los patólogos (científicos que estudian las causas y los efectos de las enfermedades) están aprendiendo por medio de las autopsias sobre otros efectos del COVID-19, como los micro-coágulos en los pulmones y otros órganos. Aparentemente, algunos de estos micro-coágulos aparecen al iniciarse la infección.

Un patólogo de Louisiana, Richard Vander Heide, que ha estado haciendo autopsias desde 1994, le dijo al Washington Post, “Nunca he visto algo así.” Sus autopsias de las personas que fallecieron de COVID-19 demostraron un patrón de cientos o miles de micro-coágulos en los pulmones. Su descubrimiento llevó a que se realicen tratamientos con anticoagulantes con los pacientes de COVID-19.

Otros efectos sobre los órganos incluyen daños en el cerebro por la falta de oxígeno y la presencia de micro-coágulos en el cerebro.

Esto no sucede en todos los casos de COVID-19. Sabemos que la mayoría de las personas que contraen COVID-19 tendrán síntomas leves o no tendrán ningún síntoma. La mayoría de la gente (más del 99%) sobrevivirá.

Pero todavía no sabemos lo que realmente significa recuperarse de COVID-19. Algunas personas que sobreviven un caso de COVID-19 regresan a su vida y salud normal.

Algunas todavía experimentan la falta del sentido del olfato o el gusto por meses después de la enfermedad. Otros, que se conocen como enfermos a largo plazo, continúan teniendo problemas médicos por muchos meses después de la infección inicial, y continúan teniendo tos, sienten el pecho cerrado, les falta el aire, tienen diarrea y fatiga.

La comunidad científica médica todavía está aprendiendo sobre por qué sucede esto y esperamos tener mayor seguridad algún día.

Depende de cada uno de nosotros

Todavía tenemos que tomar con seriedad las directrices médicas y de salud. Si está enfermo o salió positivo a la prueba de COVID-19, quédese en casa. Tenemos que seguir trabajando para disminuir la propagación de la enfermedad a aquellos que corren el riesgo de una reacción grave a la enfermedad. Aquellas personas son quienes ya tienen una o más condiciones de salud que pueden empeorar si contraen COVID-19.

Recientemente, hemos producido dos videos para ayudar a la gente a entender la diferencia entre cuarentena y aislamiento y cuándo deben seguir las directrices para cada una de las condiciones.

¿Qué es la cuarentena?

¿Qué es el aislamiento?

Además, al acercarse el otoño, las vacunas contra la influenza estarán disponibles. Por favor, asegúrese de vacunarse contra la influenza. Aunque la vacuna contra la influenza no previene el COVID-19, necesitamos que menos gente sea hospitalizada con influenza este año.

Estamos haciendo el esfuerzo por limitar el número de personas que son hospitalizadas por COVID-19 o influenza. Esto ayuda a los hospitales a proveer el mejor cuidado a quienes absolutamente lo necesiten.

Knowing how to approach travel safely and responsibly right now is challenging. While the opportunity to relax and escape into Utah’s wide-open spaces may be enticing, thoughts surrounding social distancing, sanitation and safety in public places are distressing. Traveling inherently increases the risk of contracting and spreading the coronavirus, but there are measures we can all take to travel more responsibly and have a positive impact on the communities we visit.

The first step is researching and understanding the risks associated with travel. Refer to the CDC’s up-to-date travel guidelines, as well as Visit Utah’s coronavirus travel updates. Then, as you plan your next trip to Utah consider branching off the beaten path. Although Utah’s national and state parks are open (with some limitations), many are under significant pressure from large groups of travelers. Instead, plan a road trip along The All-American Road: Scenic Byway 12, or hike a new trail in the local favorite Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument region. Now is the time to gain new perspectives, to focus on thoughtfulness as you travel and to make a positive impact on communities along the way.

Like so many locally-owned businesses around the world, the coronavirus pandemic has put tremendous pressure on Utah’s restaurants, boutiques, guides and numerous other businesses. While working together to control the spread of the coronavirus is paramount, we also have the opportunity to restore strength to these local businesses. Small but mighty changes in where you shop, the places you stay and the way you interact with a community can make a world of difference.

More information about supporting local, along with inspiration and travel discounts can be found here.

With that said, traveling responsibly is about more than exploring new destinations and supporting communities along the way. It’s about immersing yourself in a place’s heritage and culture. It’s about slowing down when possible and stopping to fully appreciate all that is around you. It’s about caring deeply, and finding ways to ensure Utah’s destinations stay Forever Mighty. Consider these ideas as you plan your next trip to Utah. We’re ready to welcome you back when the time is right, and we’re here for you every step of the way.

For more information and inspiration from The Utah Office of Tourism, go to https://www.visitutah.com/