The deaths of a young woman in Utah County and a boy in Davis County have been linked to the novel H1N1 swine flu, bringing Utah's total of deaths from the virus to 10.

The weekly update by the Utah Department of Health also said 210 patients in Utah have been hospitalized with illnesses associated with the virus.

Health officials no longer keep a count of illnesses among patients who are not hospitalized, but some providers are cautiously saying the number of cases may be hitting a plateau. At Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, the number of patients with flu-like symptoms has shown "a little bit of a decrease, but the numbers are still fairly significant," said spokesman Jess Gomez.

Both of the patients in the latest deaths tied to the flu had underlying medical conditions that made them more vulnerable, health officials said.

The woman, who was between age 18 and 39, died last week, according to Utah County Health Department public information officer Lance Madigan. He said the woman's health condition made the virus progress quickly, and she died before a flu diagnosis was final. It was confirmed Monday that she had the flu, he said.

The boy who died was between ages 5 and 17, said Bob Ballew, a spokesman for the Davis County Health Department. He said the boy did not travel or attend any camps or other group activities.

Health officials don't plan to release any other information about the two patients.

Public health officials throughout the state continue to track the outbreak and are focused on monitoring any changes in the severity of illness people are experiencing. There are mixed reports around the state regarding the continued spread.

Gary House, executive director of the Weber-Morgan Health Department, said the flu is still spreading in the district and he is monitoring youth conferences, scout camps, social activities and other "breeding grounds for exposure."

The case count reported by 10 health clinics operated by the University of Utah was essentially flat this week, said medical director Susan Terry, though the clinics are still receiving lots of calls about symptoms and treatment.

She said the clinics have adequate supplies of Tamiflu, the antiviral medication being used to treat the flu.

Several other clinics, including the 4th Street Clinic and Olympus Clinic, also said their case counts flattened this week. At Community Health Centers, cases dropped off slightly this week, said medical director Keith Horwood.

On Wednesday, state health officials again urged residents to use good hygiene during the outbreak.

"The public remains our most important partner as we respond to this developing pandemic," David Sundwall, executive director of the state health department, said in a statement.

"One thing we can be sure of is that this virus will continue to change over time, and we want to make sure Utahns don't let their guard down in terms of protecting themselves and others," he added.

Families should make plans now in the event they need to spend time away from school, work or other activities due to the flu this fall, the department said.

It urged residents to update or create emergency stockpiles that include food, water, tissue, sanitizers, over-the-counter medications and prescription medications in case of illness that requires them to stay home.