PHOENIX – As hospitalizations rise and the holidays approach, health officials concerned about a new wave of infections are urging Arizonans to take preventative measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 and seasonal influenza.
Maricopa County last week experienced the biggest spike in daily cases since August, peaking at 4,708 on Nov. 8. COVID 19 hospitalizations and ICU cases also are up at the state’s largest hospital systems, placing strain on a workforce already struggling with staff shortages.
“We still have some capacity, but we’re stretched thin,” Dr. Michael White, chief clinical officer at Valleywise Health, told a news conference Wednesday. “It’s not just available space to take care of folks, it’s the qualified health care professionals and the team we need to be able to care for patients at the ICU level of care.”
White said there were 40 COVID-positive patients hospitalized on Wednesday, twice the number of three weeks ago.
Banner Health, Arizona’s largest health care system, which treats 44% of all COVID 19 cases in the state, reports a significant increase in COVID 19 admissions in the last week. Banner on Tuesday reported the highest ICU census in the past eight months.
The largest spike in the pandemic so far in Arizona occurred in early January, just after last year’s holiday season.
In the face of this growing concern, White stressed the importance of getting vaccinated, and he advised against relying on recently developed antiviral pills, such as Molnupiravir.
“It is a tool, but it is not the most effective tool,” White said. “We can use some prophylactics with the monoclonal antibodies, but we know that again, that … the vaccine is the most effective way to be able to prevent the spread of this virus.”
As of Wednesday, about 3.8 million Arizonans – 53% of the population – were fully vaccinated against the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, the Arizona Department of Health Services says.
According to a report by the department, COVID-19 was the third-leading cause of death in Arizona through 2020, behind heart disease and cancer, and made up about 11% of all deaths in the state that year.
With the start of the holiday season, COVID-19 isn’t the only virus to worry about, White said. Influenza infections in Arizona typically begin climbing in November before peaking about New Year’s, and although the seasonal flu is significantly less deadly than COVID-19, it still can be dangerous.
As with COVID 19, the CDC recommends getting vaccinated to prevent catching or spreading influenza, a recommendation that White echoed.
Given that it is not always possible to avoid coming into contact with unvaccinated people during the holidays, White suggested taking other measures to avoid virus transmission.
“Number 1 is, be outside if we can. If we can be outside, that is the safest place to be as we celebrate the holidays. If we can’t, then I’d recommend wearing masks.”
This article appears in Nov 18-24, 2021.
Do not fall prey to these idiots! It has been proven OVER & OVER that masks don’t work, and the shot is a death sentence. There is absolutely NO proof that the shot works. Ask yourself this before you line up for the death serum, did you worry about who had a flu shot? There’s your answer. This is hyperbole bull💩. Everyone does of COVID, no one does of anything else.
“There is absolutely NO proof that the shot works…”
???????
Depends on how you define “works.” If you define works as meaning that the Covid antibody levels in your blood increase, then yes it works.
If you define “shot works” as meaning that after you get it, you are less likely to get infected, then, yes, it works.
If you define “shot works” as meaning that, if you suffer an Covid infection, you are less likely to have symptoms serious enough to warrant hospitalization, then, yes, it works.
If you define “shot works” as meaning that, if you suffer a Covid infection serious enough to warrant hospitalization, you are less likely to be placed in Intensive Care, then, yes, the “shot works”.
If you define “shot works” as meaning that, if you suffer a Covid infection serious enough to warrant placement in Intensive Care in a Hospital, you are less likely to require ventilation, then yes, the “shot works.”
If you define “shot works” as meaning that you are less likely to die if you suffer a Covid infection, then, yes, the “shot works”.
Yes, for young people, Covid is much less dangerous. not nearly as dangerous as the flu or pneumonia. And, there are significant heart risks with the shot. So, maybe, maybe, the shot doesn’t “work” for them. But, for us old fat people, the shot is a life saver.
At least so far. We’ll see what the future holds.
Now, on the other hand, if shot is administered under the threat of coercion, then there are much greater principles involved than life or death. And, no, the shot doesn’t “work.”
The typical person who dies from Covid has a life expectancy of less than 9 months. And, it isn’t the best nine months of life either.
Now, we have new research to add to this complex picture. The have found a huge group of people with “super-immunity”, people whose immune systems provide great protection not only against all existing variants but also against all possible coming variants of the covid virus. Powerful immunity lasting long into the future.
Who are these people? They are those who initially refuse to get vaccinated, then get sick from Covid and then, several months (2 months? 8 months? Not clear) after recovering then they get vaccinated.
They end up with astronomical antibody levels when challenged by the Covid virus. Their antibody response is much more powerful and robust than the antibody response of two vaccination doses. Their immune systems engage the virus along a much wider spectrum of the virus’s biological structure.
Huge scientific coverup of this phenomena. Been known for quite a while. Going to be a whole lot of people with vaccine regret as this leaks out. That’s what we get for listening to scientists.
Getting your two vaccines first and then getting Covid does not give you super immunity.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021…
People have allowed themselves to become more ignorant over the last two years. IF you get COVID (because not everyone GETS COVID) and you want to guarantee you don’t end up in the hospital, then go get the Monoclonal Antibody Treatment. Its that simple. I challenge you to find any negative reports from people who received the treatment – you wont find them. Take the treatment and you will be better within 24 hours.
This was true for my wife, my brother-in-law and his wife, my coworkers etc.
If you don’t get that sick, you get over COVID in about 2 weeks. That’s how long it took me, 54, overweight with asthma and type 2 diabetes. I could have taken the Monoclonal Antibody Treatment but I waited a little too long and by the time my provider offered it to me, I was already feeling better.
This whole COVID farce is just that. The reason people are dying is because they wait until they are too sick to be treated. The COVID shots are not making people get better or providing any protections.