Navajo health director named to Biden’s advisory board on COVID-19

WASHINGTON - President-elect Joe Biden has said dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic will be one of the first orders of business for his administration, and the director of the Navajo Health Department will be there to advise him on it.


1 in 10 Maricopa County residents have likely had COVID-19, new study finds

PHOENIX – As health experts worry about spiking COVID-19 infections, a study by the Maricopa County health department estimates that 1 in 10 residents may already have had the disease – far more than official counts.


How Arizona universities are riding the waves of COVID-19

PHOENIX – ASU, NAU and UArizona grapple with the coronavirus with similar but separate approaches to COVID-19 to tests, teaching and telling the public what they’re doing.


COVID-19 cases could push hospital beds, staff to limit, official says

WASHINGTON - The recent surge in COVID-19 cases could push hospital staff and hospital bed capacity to the limit in coming weeks, particularly if people are not careful over Thanksgiving, an Arizona hospital official said Tuesday.


Inequality in dermatology brings misdiagnoses for patients of color

PHOENIX – Images of patients with dark skin are hard to come by in both research and textbooks, and that’s created inequities in the field of dermatology for patients of color – a problem highlighted during COVID-19.


Holiday travel down this year, but millions still hit roads, airports

WASHINGTON - Thanksgiving travel is expected to be down sharply this year because of COVID-19, but as many as 50 million Americans are still expected to travel this week despite pleas from health experts to stay home.


Lost on the front lines: Health care workers in Southwest who died fighting COVID-19

Health care workers faced serious dangers during the pandemic, and some lost their lives caring for others.


Mayors again call for statewide mask mandate as COVID-19 cases surge

WASHINGTON - Democratic mayors from around the state urged Gov. Doug Ducey on Friday to impose a statewide mask mandate, as COVID-19 cases surged past 4,000 for a second straight day and state hospitals neared capacity in their intensive care units.


California high school athletes travel to Arizona to keep playing through COVID-19

SAN CLEMENTE, California – California high school athletes can only play competitively out of state and must travel to Arizona with their families to stay in game-shape.


‘It’s creating a new normal’: A Navajo school district and its students fight to overcome amid COVID-19

PIÑON – Even in the best of times, Native American K-12 students have faced an uphill battle to getting a high school diploma. Now COVID has brought new challenges, but one district is doing everything it can to help its students persevere.


Schools welcome state mandate for masks in classrooms, buses, events

WASHINGTON - Arizona health officials on Thursday mandated that students wear face coverings in school, on buses and at school activities, an emergency order that school officials called a step in the right direction, but not enough.

school spending buses

Community health centers struggle to serve and survive during pandemic

PHOENIX – Community health centers are a vital part of the nation’s health care system, helping 29 million people in medically underserved communities regardless of their ability to pay. But COVID-19 has hit these clinics hard, and some are struggling to survive.