The Navajo Nation and the University of Arizona have agreed to work together to prepare for future pandemics.
When COVID-19 hit the Navajo Nation in early 2020, it found a rich environment in which to spread. The nation quickly reached an infection rate that topped most U.S. states. The Nation’s new memorandum of understanding with UA is designed to prevent it from happening again by increasing community preparedness and identifying risks early.
It will also be used to study living conditions like lack of access to clean water, an issue prevalent on the Navajo Nation, to better understand how socioeconomic issues affect infection rates.
More news about COVID-19
-
Ever since 2020, the state has seen seasonal increases in COVID-19 throughout fall and winter. But this fall and winter, caseloads have been notably much lower than they have been in previous years.
-
The FDA plans to add a “black-box warning” to COVID-19 vaccines — that’s the strongest warning the agency can issue. But Will Humble, the Arizona Public Health Association president, says the move isn’t as alarming as it sounds.
-
City officials said that they will need to make up $22 million after the American Rescue Plan funds for homeless services expire. Since they are temporary, the city needs to replace the gap to maintain current service levels.
-
The University of Arizona and pharmaceutical company Sunshine Biopharma are developing medical technology to minimize the severity of coronavirus infections.
-
A new report from the Helios Education Foundation shows Arizona's chronic absence rates still haven't bounced back to pre-pandemic levels.