Coronavirus: A promising treatment, and other news about the COVID-19 pandemic

The most interesting story I wrote this week about the coronavirus — and I’m just a bench player in The Salt Lake Tribune’s coverage, which everyone should be reading — centered on an investigational treatment involving plasma transfusions.

The idea is to inject plasma donated by people who have recovered from COVID-19 into patients still suffering, often in critical condition, with the disease. A 24-year-old flight attendant from Magna was the first Utah patient to be given the treatment, and doctors were cautiously optimistic last week about her recovery. I heard from them, and talked to her husband, about the treatment and her prognosis.

Also this week:

• I helped out on the Tribune’s coverage of Gov. Gary Herbert’s daily briefings a couple times this week. On Wednesday, the state launched a new app to help public health officials track people exposed to the coronavirus. On Thursday, he announced the formation of a multicultural subcommittee, tasked with addressing the fact that minorities are disproportionally hit by COVID-19. On Friday, Herbert started discussing the outline of the state’s plan to ease lockdown restrictions to Utah businesses.

• One business that jumped the gun on reopening — or at least tried to — was the Redwood Drive In in West Valley City. It announced it would reopen this weekend, but had to take it back when the Salt Lake County Health Department reminded them that movie theaters, even outdoor ones, were barred from operating under the county’s public health order.

• And the Tribune put out the word that it’s seeking entries for a Quarantine Film Festival, to see what short films Utah filmmakers have been making about the pandemic and our current situation.