Update: 61 Confirmed Covid-19 Cases In Yavapai County, Non-Medical Masks Recommended

In its Wednesday, April 8, update, Yavapai County Community Health Services (YCCHS) reported 61 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the county, up two overnight from yesterday.

According to a YCCHS press release, the breakdown of the 61 cases is: 12 in Prescott, 11 in Prescott Valley, 10 in Sedona, 14 other-Quad-Cities, eight Cottonwood and six others in the Verde Valley. The cases include 20 seniors 65-plus, 36 adults 18 to 64; five minors (ages 0-17); 26 males, 35 females.

There have been 2,726 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 80 deaths reported in Arizona.

To date, 34,564 Arizonans have been tested for COVID-19. There are 1,289 residents that have been tested in Yavapai County, with 1,228 tests being negative (95%).

Yavapai Regional Medical Center reported four hospitalizations with COVID-19, with 10 persons under investigation on West Campus, one on the East Campus. A person under investigation (PUI) is an in-patient who has been admitted for care that has been tested for COVID-19 with results still pending.

Verde Valley Medical Center in Cottonwood reports one hospitalization from COVID-19, with five PUI.

WHAT ABOUT RECOVERY NUMBERS

Although there have been regional, national and global data on confirmed cases and deaths, not much has been reported on recovery, YCCHS said in a press release.

"Currently there is no treatment for COVID-19 approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but those infected can recover with appropriate care to relieve and treat symptoms," YCCHS said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has noted that for those with COVID-19 isolated at home, they are considered recovered if they meet three criteria:

• No fever for at least 72 hours without using fever-reducing medications;
• Improvement in other coronavirus-related symptoms, such as cough or shortness of breath; and
• A period of at least 7 days has passed since symptoms first appeared.

If a patient has access to testing, the criteria includes two consecutive negative tests 24 hours apart, along with no longer having a fever and seeing improvement in symptoms. The CDC’s second standard for discontinuing self-quarantine, which the agency dubs the “Time-since-illness-onset and time-since-recovery strategy” is that a person can stop self-isolating if they are fever-free for three days without the use of fever-reducing medication, has seen “improvement” in respiratory symptoms such as cough and shortness of breath, and at least 7 days have passed since the onset of symptoms.

COVID-19 CASES MAY DECLINE

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the face of the White House's coronavirus response, predicts a decline of COVID-19 over the next week or two in the United States. Health officials are admonishing local residents to not become overly confident and allow rampant community transmission to continue.

At the end of last week, health officials changed their position on the widespread public use of non-medical masks. The CDC now recommends the general public wear non-medical, cloth masks in public places to help slow the spread of the virus. The changed policy was announced after new research revealed a significant number of people who are not showing symptoms may still have the virus.

"Although homemade masks are not perfect, if you do not know you are infected, wearing a mask will go a long way to prevent you from infecting someone else," Fauci said.

NOTES

• Yavapai Emergency Operations PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) Donations – see parameters on www.yavapai.us/chs;

• YCCHS is limiting immunization appointments except for infant or respiratory vaccines, call 928-771-3122;

• Yavapai County WIC offers all services online or by phone to existing or new clients, call 928-771-3138;

• To reach the Yavapai Emergency Phone Bank, call 928-442-5103; and

• For COVID-19 information en Español click this link or visit www.yavapai.us/chs.