At least six variants of COVID-19 have now been found in Utah, including the highly-contagious Delta variant, which currently accounts for more than 90% of all variant cases in the state. Other variants present are the U.K., Brazil and South African variants and two variants from California.
The Utah Department of Health reported Thursday there have been 1,096 new cases of COVID-19 and seven additional deaths from the virus. To date, the department said Utah has seen 5,265 breakthrough cases in those who are fully vaccinated, including 63 on Wednesday.
Vaccination may ultimately be the way out of the pandemic, but it's not enough, Dr. Todd Vento, an infectious diseases doctor at Intermountain Healthcare, said, especially in the face of the new highly contagious variant seen as causing more severe illness than previous versions of the virus.
"It doesn't take the place of common sense. It doesn't take the place of masks and social distancing, We still have to do those. We have to do those even more now because we've got a much more aggressive virus that goes between people much more easily. Masks do work to prevent that," Vento said.
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