What You Need to Know-Week of January 10th
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: Keep Calm and Mask-On
3. The Arizona CoVHORT Study
1. Urgent Updates: COVID-19 Metrics
Updated as of: 01-10-2022
Weekly case, death, and hospitalization counts
| In the past week, there has been an average of: | |
| Cases per day | 12,439 |
| Deaths per day | 60 |
| Compared to two weeks ago: | |
| Cases per day | Increased by 377% ↑ |
| Deaths per day | Decreased by 10% ↓ |
| Hospitalizations per day | Increased by 13% ↑ |
View all data related to covid19 in arizona state
Vaccine Information:
| Number of Arizonans | Percentage of Arizonans | Percentage in United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizonans who are fully vaccinated | 3,986,721 | 57% | 62% |
| Arizonans who have received at least one dose (of a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine) |
4,770,280 |
68% |
74% |
10,067,918 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
2. Information You Need: Keep Calm and Mask-On
It has been nearly two years since the pandemic began and COVID-19 pandemic fatigue is a very real feeling. However, the trajectory of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is unknown, so despite these feelings, it remains essential to continue following basic safety precautions (e.g., vaccination, physical distancing, and mask wearing) to slow the spread of the virus and the development of new variants.
As a trip to the grocery store will tell you, many people have become relaxed about mask wearing. Time and time again, evidence has shown the undeniable effectiveness of masks, so now is not the time to get out of the habit of wearing a mask in public. COVID-19 cases are overwhelming hospitals in Arizona and across much of the United States. The emergence of the Omicron variant is further complicating the picture, with some evidence that it reduces vaccine effectiveness and may increase transmissibility. While we hope there will be a time when masks are not necessary, that time is not now!
It is important to continue wearing masks when you are in public, especially in indoor, crowded, and/or, poorly-ventilated spaces. Here are just a few tips to ensure your mask is the most effective at preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection:
- Make sure your mask fits snugly to your face
- Poorly fitting masks, including ones that have a gap between the mask and your face are not as effective.
- Pro tips: To create a tighter seal across your cheeks and nose, twist the ear loops once before putting them around your ears (it will look like a figure 8 from the side). This works extremely well for glasses-wearers, too, to reduce fogging. They also make rubber cord adjustments that can be added to the mask elastics to make them tighter.
- Make sure your mask is comfortable
- Ear loops can become uncomfortable, especially after an hour or more. If you know you’ll have to wear your face covering for hours at a time, invest in one with ties or an elastic band that goes around your whole head, rather than just your ears, for greater comfort. And there are “ear savers” and “mask extenders“ that pull the two loops together to relieve the pressure from your ears.
- Layers can be key
- If you use a reusable cloth mask, make sure it has at least 2 layers of cloth. Some even have a pocket to insert a removable filter, which may provide an additional layer of protection.
- Pro tip: If you can blow out a candle or lighter flame 6 inches in front of your face, your mask is too easy to breathe through!
3. The Arizona CoVHORT Study
Researchers at the University of Arizona are working to help answer important COVID-19 questions, including what are the long term health consequences of COVID-19, through the Arizona CoVHORT Research Study. Anyone is eligible to participate! Those who have had COVID-19 and those who have not had COVID-19. If you are interested in participating, please visit the CoVHORT website for more information. You can help researchers understand questions like; why do some people have long symptoms of COVID-19 and others recover quickly, how has the pandemic impacted your work opportunities, or how did people’s sleep change during the pandemic?
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.