This is National Tracking Awareness Week, which highlights the work of environmental public health tracking programs in Arizona and elsewhere. Tracking efforts include monitoring community health, identifying communities at risk, supporting epidemiological studies, educating the community, informing local planners, and providing input to health policy decisions. That’s no small task, and it’s a big part [...]
It should go without saying that during the hottest time of the year, in one of the hottest states in the country, it’s important to stay hydrated. But how much water and other fluids do you need when temperatures are extreme? The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined an adequate daily fluid [...]
The Omicron subvariant BA.5 accounts for a rapidly growing share of sequenced cases in Arizona — 53% during the week ending July 2 and likely even higher today. Evidence suggests that this version of the virus that causes COVID-19 is better at eluding immune protection offered by vaccination or previous infection. It’s understandable to be [...]
The Arizona State Hospital (ASH) provides “the highest and most restrictive” level of long-term psychiatric care in the state to Arizonans with mental illnesses who are under court order for treatment. Our staff provide high-quality inpatient psychiatric care, using a multi-disciplinary team approach, and are committed to treating patients with dignity and respect. The team [...]
Cases added in this week’s COVID-19 data dashboard update are higher than they’d ordinarily be because we have added older data for a new provider reporting electronically. The dashboard’s summary page reports new cases reported since last week’s update. That usually includes some COVID-19 cases from tests administered before the previous week. There are quite [...]
After more than two years of battle with an invisible killer, we can now vaccinate the youngest among us against COVID-19. This is great news. These vaccines have met strict federal requirements for safety and effectiveness to be authorized and recommended for children as young as 6 months old. Parents, I urge you to take [...]
Updated community levels from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) carry a designation of “high” for nine Arizona counties, including Maricopa. This means masks are recommended for public indoor settings. The other eight counties with high COVID-19 community levels are Apache, Coconino, Gila, La Paz, Mohave, Navajo, Pinal, and Yavapai. Community levels and [...]
Monsoon 2022 has arrived, and with it the promise of thunderstorms that will bring welcome rain. But the storms and the dust they kick up also bring health hazards, especially for those who already have respiratory ailments. Dust storms and heavy downpours occur across the state but are a higher concern for more than 6 [...]
Updated community levels from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) carry a designation of “high” for La Paz, Navajo and Apache counties. This means masks are recommended for public indoor settings. Community levels and mitigation recommendations take into account COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents and COVID-19’s impact on each county’s health care system. [...]
I’m happy to hear that so many parents are planning to vaccinate their children younger than 5 years old against COVID-19. Among other age groups, vaccines have been safe and highly effective at preventing severe illness. Now COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for everyone starting at 6 months of age. For parents of those younger than [...]
