Covid-19 cases still linger in Pinal County, but there are far fewer than the peak pandemic years of 2020 and 2021.
That’s when the pandemic closed businesses, government agencies and schools around the county. Everyone knew somebody who contracted the respiratory disease, or had it themselves.
Many died, especially seniors 65 and older and people with compromised immune systems.
Today, it’s an entirely different picture, the county’s chief epidemiologist said in a Friday interview.
“We’re living with covid like living with any other respiratory illnesses,” said Kore Redden, who is also Pinal’s deputy director of public health. “Sometimes flu is higher than covid. If we’re not protecting ourselves from any respiratory disease, one will happen over the other. I do know that flu and RSV had higher counts than covid this year.”
County health officials said so far in 2024 at least 2,341 cases have been reported and counting.
That compares to 9,245 cases last year and 61,781 in 2022.
Covid took the lives of 25 people in Pinal County so far in 2024, compared to 68 last year and 405 in 2022.
The first covid-19 case in Pinal County was detected in March 2020. Since that time, nearly a third of the county population has tested positive for covid-19 at some point, according to Pinal public health’s website.
That’s about 166,000 people.
The reasons for people contracting covid-19 remain the same, Redden said.
A lack of hygiene and sanitation is the most likely cause, from routine hand washing to using hand sanitizer. Distancing and not using face masks in crowded situations, such as airplanes, are also typical causes.
Redden recommends people continue to get vaccinated against covid, just as they would for the flu.
The county does not break out data according to city or zip code.
Said Redden: “The difference is we’re living with covid now.”
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