Community transmission of COVID-19 has moved to high levels in Pima County as hospitals here are already grappling with soaring rates of influenza and respiratory syncytial virus.
COVID-19 cases were at about 167 to 170 cases per 100,000 people in the county earlier this week, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows. Increased testing and a rise in hospitalizations, however, are now showing about 233 cases per 100,00 people, with just over 5 percent of the county's beds now occupied by COVID patients.
Community transmission is considered high once cases go above 200 per 100,000 people.
The positivity rate is also high, at about 27%. Ideally, public health officials want to see positivity rates below 10%, with 5% and lower considered ideal.
People are once again strongly urged to mask in indoor public spaces, said Dr. Theresa Cullen, the county's health director, "to help protect themselves, others, and our hospital capacity."
Cullen said while she doesn't expect everyone to get on board with masking again, she has found Pima County residents tend to respond well to public health recommendations. There are no plans for mask mandate requests at this time, she said.
"The Pima County Health Department continues to monitor respiratory infection rates in the county as well as the state," Cullen said. "As anticipated, we are starting to see a surge in COVID infections, and hospitalizations."
Rise in respiratory infections
This jump in COVID cases coincides with recent and significant increases in other respiratory infections, including influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, Cullen said.
RSV is transmitting at about 10 to 11 times the number typically seen at this time of year here, compared to a five-year average. Influenza cases are about five times higher than the five-year average, and are also peaking earlier than usual, Cullen said.
Over the next six to eight weeks in particular, Cullen said during a news conference last week, people should be doing what they can to protect themselves and others, particularly babies and young children, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems and chronic health conditions.
Typically, babies under six months of age are the most common RSV patients seen in hospitals but this year, admissions include many toddlers and pre-school children, up to age four, as well as some elderly patients.
Pediatric cases of RSV are overwhelming hospitals here and, especially, in Maricopa County, said Dr. Matt Heinz, county supervisor for District 2 and a local hospital physician.
Heinz said wait times have increased dramatically over the last two weeks at hospitals here and around Arizona.
"Staff are reporting no pediatric beds available in multiple facilities statewide," Heinz said of his conversations with other physicians. Wait times are going up in emergency rooms, he said, "and critical patients are being forced to wait in emergency departments for hours until beds are available."
A 'comeback' for COVID-19 wards
Phoenix-area emergency physician Dr. Nicholas Vasquez told the Associated Press late last week that his hospital has recently admitted a growing number of chronically ill people and nursing home residents with severe COVID-19. COVID wards are "making a clear comeback," he said.
People are also urged to wash their hands often, ventilate indoor spaces whenever possible if groups are gathering, to vaccinate against influenza and COVID-19, and stay home if sick.
There is not yet a vaccine available for RSV.
Pima County's vaccination rate for COVID boosters is about 18%, Cullen said, which is one of the highest rates in the state.
However, Cullen said, more older people need to get boosted to help protect themselves as best they can.
Vaccinations and boosters are available at many local pharmacies as well as county health sites.
