COVID inpatient numbers at Arizona hospitals showing sustained decline

PHOENIX – The number of Arizona hospital inpatients with COVID-19 has fallen for five consecutive days, according to Wednesday’s update of the state’s pandemic dashboard.

But the state is reporting deaths from the virus at the highest rate in almost a year.

Arizona hospitals had 3,255 confirmed or suspected COVID inpatients on Tuesday, an 8.5% drop from the omicron wave peak reached Thursday.

New cases and percent positivity for diagnostic testing have also been trending lower, indicating the highly contagious omicron variant’s impact is fading.

However, COVID ICU cases and deaths, categories that generally lag 1-2 weeks behind case trends, haven’t yet shown sustained declines.

In fact, the seven-day average for newly reported COVID deaths has surged by 75% in the last week and surpassed 100 on Tuesday for the first time since Feb. 25, 2021.

Arizona ranks second nationally for COVID deaths per 100,000 residents since the start of the pandemic, trailing only Mississippi.

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Here’s the latest data on the pandemic in Arizona (hospital, case, death, testing and vaccination statistics are based on Wednesday morning’s update of the Arizona Department of Health Services COVID-19 dashboard; seven-day averages are based on tracking by The New York Times):

COVID-19 cases

• Documented pandemic total – 1,886,541
• Daily new reports – Wednesday: 8,329; One day earlier: 7,567; One week earlier: 18,229; Pandemic high: 27,681 (Jan. 22, 2022)
• Seven-day average – Tuesday: 13,848; One day earlier: 14,763; One week earlier: 19,369; Pandemic high: 20,778 (Jan. 24, 2022)

COVID-19 deaths

• Documented pandemic total – 26,369
• Daily new reports – Wednesday: 24; One day earlier: 140; One week earlier: 275; Pandemic high: 335 (Jan. 12, 2021)
• Seven-day average – Tuesday: 103; One day earlier: 83; One week earlier: 59; Pandemic high: 175 (Jan. 13, 2021)

COVID-19 hospitalizations

• COVID inpatients – Tuesday: 3,255; One day earlier: 3,275; One week earlier: 3,511; Pandemic high: 5,082 (Jan. 11, 2021)
• COVID ICU patients – Tuesday: 630; One day earlier: 649; One week earlier: 631; Pandemic high: 1,183 (Jan. 11, 2021)

Statewide hospital capacity

• Inpatients beds available – Tuesday: 456 (5% of capacity); One day earlier: 549 (6%); One week earlier: 471 (5%)
• Percentage of inpatient beds with COVID patients – Tuesday: 37%; One day earlier: 37%; One week earlier: 40%
• ICU beds available – Tuesday: 125 (8% of capacity); One day earlier: 111 (7%); One week earlier: 92 (6%)
• Percentage of ICU beds with COVID patients – Tuesday: 38%; One day earlier: 40%; One week earlier: 38%

Laboratory diagnostic testing

• Weekly percent positivity – Samples taken this week: 26%; Last week: 29%; Two weeks ago: 34%; Pandemic high (for a full week): 34% (Jan. 16-22, 2022)
• Find a testing site: ADHS (statewide)

Vaccines

• Percentage of eligible Arizonans fully vaccinated – As of Wednesday: 60.2%; One day earlier: 60.1%; One week earlier: 59.9%
• Percentage of eligible Arizonans with at least one shot – As of Wednesday: 73.1%; One day earlier: 73%; One week earlier: 72.5%
• Find a vaccine site: ADHS (statewide); Maricopa County Public Health (metro Phoenix)

Additional details

The ADHS daily case and death updates can cover multiple days of reporting because of data processing procedures and aren’t meant to represent the actual activity over the previous 24 hours. The hospitalization numbers posted each morning are reported electronically the previous evening by hospitals across the state.

The actual caseload is likely higher than officially reported because ADHS data is based mainly on electronic laboratory reporting and doesn’t include results from home kits unless individuals report them to their health care providers.

Vaccines have proven to reduce the likelihood of a COVID infection causing serious illness or death, even with the highly contagious omicron variant. Booster shots provide additional protection and are approved for individuals who received their second Pfizer (ages 12 and up only) or Moderna doses at least five months ago or the Johnson & Johnson shot at least two months ago.

The minimum age for vaccination is 5 for Pfizer and 18 for Moderna or Johnson & Johnson.

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