SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (ABC4 News) – The Utah Department of Health is preparing for a “potential second wave” of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus in the state.
“There’s a lot we don’t know about this virus given that it was just discovered in November,” Dr. Angela Dunn, the State Epidemiologist said during a Monday afternoon press briefing on the virus. “But if it is consistent to other cornaviruses, we could expect a decline in cases in our warmer months and then potentially another surge once respiratory and flu virus season starts up again in the fall. As public health, we are definitely expecting and preparing for a second wave in the fall of 2020. That doesn’t mean it’s going to happen but it’s something we want to be prepared for if it does follow the trend of other coronaviruses.”
The state epidemiologist said there are concerns that come with a potential second wave.
“What’s particularly concerning about a potential second wave is, we don’t have a lot of cases in Utah so we can’t expect for a lot of hard immunity and a vaccine won’t be available by then, so we’re going to have to continue to rely upon people isolating themselves when they are sick to prevent the spread of disease further.”
