Confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona jump from 44 to 68; first case reported in Cochise County
PHOENIX - The number of COVID-19 cases in Arizona have jumped to 68 cases, according to information provided by the Arizona Department of Health Services and other county health departments
AZDHS confirmed 63 cases of the coronavirus this morning, and both Yuma and Coconino Counties have confirmed more cases since then.
The number of cases in Maricopa have increased from 22 to 34 cases.
DHS has confirmed 3 cases in Navajo County, while the Navajo Nation itself has said they had 14 confirmed cases as of Thursday night.
Yuma County confirmed their first presumptive positive case Friday morning. On Friday afternoon, Cochise County also reported their first case.
Coconino County confirmed 4 more cases Friday afternoon, bringing their county total to 9.
Symptoms for coronavirus COVID-19 include fever, coughing, and shortness of breath. These, of course, are similar to the common cold and flu.
Expect a common cold to start out with a sore or scratchy throat, cough, runny and/or stuffy nose. Flu symptoms are more intense and usually come on suddenly, and can include a high fever.
Symptoms of COVID-19 may appear more slowly. They usually include fever, a dry cough and noticeable shortness of breath, according to the World Health Organization. A minority of cases develop pneumonia, and the disease is especially worrisome for the elderly and those with other medical problems such as high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes or heart conditions.
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Right now there's one big difference between flu and coronavirus: A vaccine exists to help prevent the flu and it's not too late to get it. It won't protect you from catching the coronavirus, but may put you in a better position to fight it.
To protect yourself, wash your hands well and often, keep them away from your face, and avoid crowds and standing close to people.
And if you do find yourself showing any of these flu or coronavirus symptoms - don't go straight to your doctor's office. That just risks making more people sick, officials urge. Call ahead, and ask if you need to be seen and where.