What You Need to Know-Week of October 11th
The most important weekly updates for you to keep your community healthy
In this Update:
1. Urgent Updates: COVID-19 Metrics
2. Information You Need: COVID-19 Antiviral and Monoclonal Antibody Therapies
3. Mental Health Reminder: Compassion fatigue
1. Urgent Updates: COVID-19 Metrics
Updated as of: 10-11-2021
Weekly case, death, and hospitalization counts
| In the past week, there has been an average of: | |
| Cases per day | 2,311 |
| Deaths per day | 35 |
| Compared to two weeks ago: | |
| Cases per day | Decreased by 8% ↓ |
| Deaths per day | Decreased by 18% ↓ |
| Hospitalizations per day | Decreased by 7% ↓ |
View all data related to covid19 in arizona state
Hospital Capacity Metrics:
| Percent of Arizona hospital beds currently in use | 94% |
|---|---|
| Percent of Arizona hospital beds currently in use by COVID-19 patients | 27% |
Vaccine Information:
| Number of Arizonans | Percentage of Arizonans | Percentage in United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizonans who are fully vaccinated | 3,776,883 | 52% | 56% |
| Arizonans who have received at least one dose (of a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine) |
4,266,787 |
60% |
65% |
7,872,358 total COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in Arizona
See breakdown of vaccination by Arizona counties
See updated vaccine information and data in Arizona
Important note on variants: Last month in Arizona, over 97% of the positive SARS-CoV-2 tests that were sequenced were caused by the Delta variant.
See Arizona COVID-19 Sequencing Dashboard for more information
2. Information You Need: COVID-19 Antiviral and Monoclonal Antibody Therapies
Researchers, scientists, and healthcare professionals are all continuing to learn more about the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19, including potential treatment options. This is a careful and rigorous process. Fortunately, these efforts have improved our understanding of and access to treatments since the start of the pandemic.
The healthiest option is still prevention of COVID-19 by getting vaccinated and taking general safety precautions (e.g., physical distancing, wearing a mask in school, the workplace and in public, limiting your social circle, hand hygiene, etc.). COVID-19 treatment options are not substitutes for vaccination and common sense public health measures. This is true for all individuals, but especially children, as there are few treatment options available for those under 12 years old.
However, in the event someone has been exposed to or contracts the virus it is important to be aware of potential treatment and therapy options. Below we discuss antiviral medications and monoclonal antibody therapy. There are additional treatments used in certain cases (e.g., immunomodulators, including corticosteroids) and other treatments are currently under review. It is important to ask your doctor if specific treatments are appropriate. There is quite a bit of misinformation about treatments that are not effective and that may even be unsafe. Learn more about treatments from a reputable source before you take them. The following illustrates the key differences in two treatments FDA approved for use for COVID-19.
| Antiviral Medication | Monoclonal Antibody Therapy | |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | Remdesivir is an antiviral that keeps the virus from making copies of itself in the body. It has been shown to cut recovery time by ⅓. Multiple drugs are either currently being evaluated for efficacy and safety or have previously been studied to treat COVID-19 and have not been approved for use. | Monoclonal antibodies are proteins made in a laboratory, which simulate the antibodies made by the immune system to fight a COVID-19 infection. |
| FDA Approval status | The only antiviral medication that has been FDA approved to treat certain COVID-19 patients. | This therapy has been authorized by the FDA for emergency use. |
| What does it do? | Slows the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus within the body. | Reduces the risk of severe disease (e.g., hospitalizations, severe symptoms) as well as viral load.* Viral load is the number of virus particles in a sick individuals’ body – the higher viral load, the higher the risk is of spreading the virus to others. |
| How is it administered? | Through intravenous injection | Through intravenous (IV) infusion |
| Who is eligible to receive it? | Hospitalized COVID-19 patients who are:12 years or olderWeigh at least 88 pounds (40 kg). | Individuals who meet all of the following criteria:At high risk of developing COVID-19 (e.g., immunosuppressed, 65 years old and above, etc.) Are at least 12 years or older and weigh at least 88 pounds (40 kg)Either have received a positive SARS-CoV-2 test (and have not yet been hospitalized) or who have been exposed to the virus (and have not been fully vaccinated, with the exception for those who are immunocompromised) Many Arizona hospitals are now offering monoclonal antibody infusions. Contact your healthcare provider to see if this therapy may be right for you. For those who are not fully vaccinated, it is advised to wait 90 days after receiving monoclonal antibody therapy before getting a COVID-19 vaccine. |
| Visit for more information: | NIH COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines : Remdesivir | FDA Article : FDA authorizes REGEN-COV monoclonal antibody therapy |
3. Mental Health Reminder: Compassion fatigue
Are you feeling emotionally and physically exhausted? Has feeling this way lessened your ability to feel empathy for others and their situations? This is more than understandable after experiencing the effects of a deadly global pandemic for over a year and a half now. So many of us have, directly or indirectly, experienced great loss because of COVID-19. If you are feeling this way, you may be experiencing compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue, sometimes also referred to as “seconary traumatization,” can be described by feeling emotionally strained due to hearing other’s suffering or traumas, such as difficult experiences during a pandemic.
The following signs may demonstrate you are experiencing compassion fatigue.
Compassion fatigue is common and can affect many parts of your overall health, from decreased emotional regulation to cognitive issues. Here are some options to manage this:
Recharge your body by :
- Getting enough sleep
- Moving your body, even a short walk outside, or stretches and movement at your desk can help
- Eat healthy food
- Stay hydrated
Take time for yourself through:
- Taking breaks from work
- Taking time to devote to a hobby or activity you enjoy
Talk with someone about how you’re feeling.
- This could be a therapist, friends, family member, even writing your feelings down may help.
Most of all, be nice to yourself, know you are not alone in your feelings, and know that your feelings are valid.
visit the American Institute of Stress website for more information
The next update will cover information on whether COVID-19 is expected to become endemic. If you would like to learn more about this and other topics related to COVID-19 in Arizona, please complete next week’s AZCOVIDTXT survey that you will receive via text in about a week.