Computer generated image via Getty Images
As the KP.3 variant becomes the dominant COVID-19 strain across the country, Arizona is seeing a slight increase in cases, but reporting is not entirely complete.
As the nation experiences a rise in cases this summer, President Joe Biden tested positive for the virus while on the campaign trail Wednesday and returned to his home in Delaware to self-isolate.
In the past month the Grand Canyon State has seen a 39% increase in hospitalizations and a 20% increase in deaths related to COVID, according to Arizona Department of Health Services data . The number of hospitalizations has steadily increased from week-to-week over the past four weeks as well.
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
However, data on the exact number of cases is not entirely complete as the advent of at-home test kits that are not reported to the state or counties means an unknown number of positive cases go unreported to health authorities.
“It is hard to make people report things who are doing self testing,” Will Humble, executive director for the Arizona Public Health Association and former director for ADHS said to the Arizona Mirror. “So we really don’t have very good case data.”
Some have pointed to wastewater testing as a possible solution to this problem to better understand the level of COVID spread that may be in a given area. However, that data is also limited with only nine sites in Arizona reporting wastewater data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“We still have some pretty decent data with the hospital reporting,” Humble said. “We’ve about doubled the number of cases per week since May.”
Even with that increase, the numbers in most cases still fall well below the surges seen in previous years. Data from the Maricopa County Department of Public Health shows that the number of cases reported from June 16 to June 22 saw an 88% increase from last year but overall there has been a 47% decrease in total cases this season, compared to last year.
Since the start of the pandemic, Arizona has consistently seen summer and winter spikes in cases. Some have theorized that COVID is settling into a seasonal virus model, however, evidence has suggested that human activity in these seasons is the main attributable factor, not the virus itself.
Humble said that antibodies created by infection or the vaccine have been observed to last between 6 to 7 months and theorized that the uptick in cases we tend to see can be attributed to a lack of antibodies needed to fight off the virus, creating a “6 month schedule.”
As the KP.3 variant becomes the dominant strain across the country, data has shown that it is doing the same in Arizona. Genetic sequencing of positive tests shows that the KP strain makes up for more than 50% of all positive cases and began overtaking other strains in May.
The strain comes from the Omicron variant of the virus and the symptoms are identical to other variations of the virus. CDC data shows that Arizona continues to be one of the states in the nation with the highest percentage of positive cases per week.
A new vaccine aimed at the KP.3 variant is on the way but will likely not be ready until October. The new vaccines include the MRNA version many are familiar with as well as a non-MRNA version of the vaccine. The CDC is recommending that anyone 6 months and older get the updated vaccine when it is available.
However, that does not help those who are currently at high risk, like those who have been undergoing chemotherapy treatment. Humble said that only those who are at “high high risk” should be concerned about the current cases and should take extra precautions.
“If you’re at high risk right now, just pay attention to how you are feeling,” Humble said, adding that getting on COVID treatment medications like Paxlovid earlier will be more beneficial to those people.
While cases are rising, Humble said he “wouldn’t call it a surge” like we have seen in previous years.
“Big picture, it is working its way into becoming a common cold,” Humble said, adding that COVID comes from the same virus family as the common cold and that the virus mutating into a less deadly form that is more transmissible makes sense.
The Mirror reached out to the CDC and ADHS for comment and to answer questions about how they are factoring in for lost data from at-home testing and other complications but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
Those looking to get a COVID vaccine can visit vaccines.gov .
DONATE: SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST
Local News
