Arizona is hosting some big events in the next few weeks, and there will be lots of crowds.
What impact could that have on the respiratory viruses COVID-19, Influenza, and RSV?
According to the state health department, since January 1 there have been 10,458 COVID-19 cases recorded, 3,160 influenza cases, and 1,673 cases of RSV.
The numbers come from lab-confirmed cases, so the real number is likely much higher, but they are still good for tracking trends.
This is important since, as ABC15 Health Insider Dr. Shad points out, big events can trigger spread.
“As people travel, viruses travel with them. So with all these big events coming to the Valley, we’re definitely going to see more RSV, more flu, more COVID.”
There were over 10,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases just in the past few weeks, but trend-wise, the most recent week of reported data is 97% lower than the previous winter average from 2021 and 2022.
The big caveat from this data is lab testing was much more prevalent at the time and confirmed cases reported by the Health Department are now mostly from those symptomatic enough to test at a health clinic.
This season, flu numbers peaked very early.
Over 5,000 lab-confirmed cases occurred in one week in December, but the good news is cases have plummeted since then.
Confirmed cases for the most recent week of data are now below the five-season average.
Arizona is hosting the Super Bowl on February 12 and the five-season average for influenza is receding by that time.
Lab-confirmed RSV cases also spiked early this year.
Today, they are still higher than the five-season average, but RSV typically peaks around mid-February.
By and large, confirmed cases from the Health Department-tracked viruses are trending down heading into the next few weeks of big events, but Dr. Shad still advises taking some steps to protect yourself.
“Making sure to stay hydrated. Watch your alcohol and caffeine intake, as much as you can. Make sure to try to get as much sleep as you can, frequently sanitize and wash your hands. If you're in really densely crowded indoor spaces, I would consider wearing a high-quality N95 or KN95 mask,” he added
