The table below shows the number of people tested for SARS-CoV2 and the percent positivity by race/ethnicity group. While positive tests are reported quickly, the full electronic lab report used in the below analysis can take several days to be reported. Similarly, reporting of negative tests may have a lag of several days. The most recent four days (including the current day) have been excluded from the lab test data used below to help account for this lag. As with other analyses of lab data, laboratory positives may not match confirmed cases due to reporting delays, ongoing investigations, and confirmatory testing.
Data on pre-existing conditions are gathered from a variety of sources, including case interviews and medical records (when available). Case interviews are conducted by many public health investigators across state and local health departments to determine what potential medical risk factors cases may have had prior to developing COVID-19. Data gathered through interviews is self-reported by cases and is dependent on willingness to share this information with health departments. This is not a complete list of conditions and rates may change as public health collects more data and performs additional analysis.
Data collection forms used by DHHS and Utah’s Local Health Departments have been updated to collect information on additional pre-existing conditions: autoimmune conditions, disabilities, hypertension, severe/morbid obesity, psychological/psychiatric conditions, and substance abuse. The previous neurologic pre-existing condition has been moved into the broader disability condition, which includes neurological, neurodevelopmental, intellectual, and physical disabilities. Additionally, investigators are now able to distinguish between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. All analyses of these new conditions are based on the subset of cases that use the new forms. These forms no longer collect information on specific conditions from cases without that condition or where the status is unknown; this information remains available for the overall ‘Any Pre-Existing Condition’ question.
Examples of persons with compromised immune systems include those with cancer and transplant patients who are taking certain immunosuppressive drugs, persons living with HIV/AIDS, and those with inherited diseases that affect the immune system. Chronic pulmonary conditions include uncontrolled asthma, emphysema, and COPD. Examples of persons with a disability include those with dementia, seizure disorders, cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer’s disease. Psychological/psychiatric conditions include schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, and bipolar disorder.
Demographic Data: There will be small count differences in data presented by age groups, self-reported sex, and hospitalization status. This is because some cases are not initially reported with all of these data elements and unknowns are excluded from this report. Case data will be updated as local health departments (LHDs) and the Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) complete investigations.
Race & Ethnicity: As of 11/17/2021, DHHS has updated the race/ethnicity population definition to more closely align with data being collected. Race and ethnicity will now be calculated exclusively and no longer in combination. People reported with Hispanic ethnicity with any race, are grouped as “Hispanic/Latino”. Racial groupings include people who are reported with a single race alone and have not indicated Hispanic ethnicity (including those with unknown ethnicity). People who identify as two or more races of non-Hispanic or unknown ethnicity will be grouped in “Two or More Races”. This results in R/E-specific numerators and denominators being mutually exclusive as opposed to the previous method which counted each group alone or in combination. This correction to the data resulted in higher rates of testing, cases, hospitalization, deaths, and vaccination across all racial and ethnic minority populations.
Data for this report were accessed on November 02, 2023 10:14 AM.