"Utah's COVID-19 Surge: A Unique Outlook for the Year Ahead"

As COVID-19 cases are expected to increase with colder weather, experts in Utah emphasize the importance of testing, staying home when sick, and following CDC guidelines. Disease surveillance methods have shifted towards syndromic surveillance, tracking emergency department visits and urgent care reports of COVID-19 symptoms. The Salt Lake County Health Department is developing a website to provide simplified information on syndromic surveillance and hospitalization data for COVID-19, RSV, and flu. The upcoming COVID-19 vaccine will come with a price tag, but insurance coverage will likely be available. In the meantime, the bivalent vaccine is recommended for protection against the omicron subvariant and the rising eris variant. Immunocompromised individuals can consider getting a bivalent booster dose or waiting for the fall vaccine. Vaccination is strongly advocated for COVID-19, flu, and RSV. The RSV vaccine is awaiting insurance approval but is expected to be available soon.