The COVID-19 Report for Nov 30th, 2020

COVID-19 cases have continued to surge across the United States. COVID-19 hospitalizations have surpassed 90,000 for the first time since the pandemic started. 4 million new cases were recorded in November which topped the record set in October for 2 million new cases.

Experts expect the United States to reach hospital capacity by Dec 24th and hit nearly 4,000 new COVID-19 cases per day.

The Bio-Tech company Moderna is applying for Emergency Use Authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine. If approved they will join Pfizer in providing a vaccine.

Many challenges remain for mass distribution of any vaccine. Government officials still have not officially solidified the order of vaccination for the American people other than Health Care Workers and First Responders. It’s expected that the poor and uninsured will be left behind again.

The CDC has updated guidance for identifying COVID-19 deaths, ADHS has enhanced its processes to match. This change may cause the number of new deaths reported on their dashboard.

A new report on the COVID-19 Pandemic estimates that the total US infection rate is likely that greater than 10 times more than the number of reported COVID-19 cases.

Maricopa County has a program called Take Care that is designed to help keep residents and businesses healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. County residents can get COVID-19 testing and free flu vaccinations. They can also get rent and utility assistance if they are unable to pay their gas or electric bills or if they are at risk of losing their homes.

Deaths are shown on the bar chart of the COVID-19 deaths section of the dashboard using the date of death, not the day reported. New deaths on the summary section of the dashboard are displayed by the day reported to ADHS.

The mask mandate for Phoenix remains in effect and face coverings are required in all enclosed public spaces, buses, and trains.

Testing

Phoenix community partners regulary hold free COVID-19 testing sites. Pre-registration is required but it is free to all community members.

As the pandemic increases, testing slows down.

Vaccine Updates

The Pfizer Vaccine will be the first released in the United States. The Federal Government contracted for 40 million doses. It requires 2 doses per person so the first shipment will vaccinate 20 million people. Health Care Workers and First Responders are the first group to be vaccinated.

It is important to remember that these vaccines have just been invented and we still do not have very much data on how well they work, what the side effects will be, or what the long-term effects will be.

Monoclonal Antibody Therapy

The U.S. government has purchased 300,000 doses of bamlanivimab and committed that Americans will have no out-of-pocket costs for the medicine, although healthcare facilities may charge a fee for the product’s administration.

COVID-19 Self-Testing at Home

U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the first COVID-19 diagnostic test for self-testing at home and that provides rapid results.

The Lucira COVID-19 All-In-One Test Kit is a molecular (real-time loop mediated amplification reaction) single-use test that is intended to detect the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19.

Coronavirus Protection Plan

As the positivity rate in Arizona rises, so does the risk to you and your family. Please protect them and reduce the spread of COVID-19 by:

• Wearing a mask
• Putting at least 6 feet of distance between you and others
• Avoiding all gatherings
• Wash your hands frequently
• Wipe down high-touch surfaces frequently
• Staying home if you can
• Seek medical care if you suspect you have COVID-19