New Method for Determining Inpatient and ICU Bed Availability Launched Today
Throughout the COVID-19 response, ADHS has partnered with hospitals to ensure Arizona’s healthcare preparedness to address a surge in COVID-19 cases. Early in the outbreak, Governor Ducey issued executive orders to support healthcare surge capacity, including issuance of the Stay Home, Stay Healthy, Stay Connected order, which provided hospitals time to implement preparedness plans, enhance surge capacity, and acquire additional [...]
Breaking Down COVID-19 Case Counts
This morning at nine, we’ll be updating our COVID-19 data dashboard. Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be changing how they display data about cases and deaths on their dashboard, and ADHS will be changing ours to reflect this update. On our summary page, we will be breaking out confirmed and probable cases and deaths for [...]
Updated Arizona Specific COVID-19 Models and Projections
Over the past few months, we have been reviewing projections and models to ensure we have adequate healthcare resources to meet the needs of Arizonans during this pandemic. The news is encouraging: most of the current models continue to show that Arizona’s capacity is sufficient to meet the projected need for hospital beds and ventilators. Several weeks ago, ADHS requested [...]
Cloth Face Coverings: What You Need To Know
As COVID-19 continues to spread in the United States, the CDC has recommended wearing cloth face coverings in public when physical distancing is difficult to maintain. Out and about in our communities, many Arizonans are following these recommendations. Studies continue to be published showing how COVID-19 can be spread through speaking, coughing, sneezing -- including by people who don’t even know they’re [...]
Thank You to EMS Agencies for Helping Arizona Respond to the COVID-19 Outbreak
May 17-23, 2020, is Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week. This year’s theme for EMS Week, “Ready Today, Preparing For Tomorrow” is appropriate given our current statewide response to the COVID-19 pandemic. EMS providers (including EMTs, paramedics, emergency nurses and physicians, 9-1-1 dispatchers, and EMS educators) have been on the front line of Arizona’s COVID-19 response since day one. When our colleges [...]
Testing for COVID-19: PCR and Serology (Antibody Testing)
There are now multiple types of COVID-19 tests available, including Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and serology (antibody testing). Both test types are becoming increasingly available in our communities. The PCR test is a diagnostic test that looks for the presence of viral nucleic acids and tells if a person is currently infected with the virus. A new diagnostic test, known [...]