Coronavirus cases rising again in Arizona: 'It's becoming the common cold' – Arizona Mirror

As the KP.3 variant becomes the dominant COVID-19 strain across the U.S., Arizona has seen a slight increase in cases, but reporting has not been completed. As the number of infected people in the country has increased this summer, President Joe Biden tests positive Trump was arrested on suspicion of contracting the virus during a campaign event on Wednesday and has returned to his Delaware home to self-isolate. Over the past month, the Grand Canyon State has reported a 39% increase in hospitalizations related to COVID-19 and a 20% increase in deaths. Data from the Arizona Department of Health ServicesHospitalizations have also been steadily increasing week-over-week for the past four weeks. Get morning headlines delivered to your inbox subscribe But with the advent of home testing kits that aren't reported to states or counties, the data on the exact number of cases is not entirely complete because it's unclear how many positive cases go unreported to health officials. "It's hard to get people who are self-testing to report," Will Humble, executive director of the Arizona Public Health Association and a former ADHS director, told the Arizona Mirror. "So we don't really have good case data." Some people, Wastewater Testing One solution to this problem could be to better understand the level of COVID spread in specific areas, but that data is limited. Arizona has only nine sites Report wastewater data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "We're still seeing pretty good data from hospitals reporting cases," Humble said. "Since May, we've seen weekly case numbers roughly double." Despite the increase, most cases are still far below last year's surge. According to Maricopa County Public Health data, the number of cases reported between June 16 and June 22 was: 88% increase That's down from last year, but overall, total cases this season are down 47% compared to last year. Since the pandemic began, Arizona has seen spikes in cases in the summer and winter. Some have suggested COVID-19 is settling into a seasonal virus model, but the evidence is unclear. Human activity during these seasons That is the main cause, not the virus itself. Humble said antibodies produced by infection or a vaccine can Being observed It was predicted to last six to seven months, and it was theorized that the rise in cases could be due to a shortage of antibodies needed to fight the virus, resulting in a "six-month timeline." As the KP.3 variant becomes the dominant strain across the U.S., the data shows a similar trend in Arizona. Genetic sequencing of positive tests The KP strain accounts for more than 50% of all positive cases, indicating that it began to overtake other strains in May. This strain arises from the omicron variant of the virus and the symptoms are identical to other variants of the virus. According to CDC data: Arizona continues to have one of the highest weekly positive case rates in the nation. New vaccines targeting the KP.3 variant are in development but probably won't be ready until October. The new vaccines include the MRNA version that many are familiar with, and a non-MRNA version of the vaccine. The CDC recommends When an updated vaccine becomes available, everyone aged 6 months or older should get it. But that doesn't help people who are currently at high risk, such as those undergoing chemotherapy. Humble said only people who are at "very high risk" should be concerned about the current cases and take extra precautions. "If you're at high risk right now, pay attention to how you're feeling," Humble said, adding that taking COVID medications such as Paxlovid earlier could be more beneficial for those people. Although case numbers are rising, Humble said "I wouldn't call it a surge" like in past years. "The bigger picture is that this is turning into the common cold," Humble said, adding that COVID-19 is in the same family of viruses as the common cold, so it makes sense for the virus to mutate into a more contagious, less deadly form. The Mirror reached out to the CDC and ADHS for comment and to answer questions about how they are accounting for data loss and other complications from at-home testing, but did not receive a response at the time of publication. Those who want to get the COVID vaccine Vaccine.gov. Sources 1/ https://Google.com/ 2/ https://azmirror.com/briefs/covid-cases-on-the-rise-again-in-arizona-on-its-way-to-becoming-a-common-cold/ The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article

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Coronavirus cases rising again in Arizona: 'It's becoming the common cold' – Arizona Mirror

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Coronavirus cases rising again in Arizona: 'It's becoming the common cold' – Arizona Mirror

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