"Confirmed Cases" should represent individuals infected, not simply number of positive test results.
"Confirmed Cases" is confusing since it appears to be reported by the test specimen instead of individuals infected. I don't know for sure if this is what's going on, but it seems like it. If so, AZDHS ought to correspond test results with individuals tested to account for repeat testing, and report a proper "confirmed cases" count. This will provide a more accurate picture of Arizona's CV19 situation, and thus, better policy decisions. Points addressed with slightly more detail in this AZ Daily Star letter and the first comment on it: https://tucson.com/opinion/letters/local-issues/letter-covid-19-data-in-arizona-garbage-in-garbage-out/article_56f828b8-c140-11ea-a697-b3dbebea2bee.html?mode=comments
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Virginia commented
Seems they continue to use cases as the one data point to make decisions. Did you know that if you test positive and then die within 90 days you are counted as a covid death? Did you know that if you have had covid, you can test positive up to 90 days later? Did you know Ducey is on the board of governors for Tgen who is making tests and working the vaccine? Did you know the pcr test is not a quantitative test but a research tool? no covid tests are fda approved - only emergency use. Based on cycle time (ours set at 40) data shows after 24 cycles, virus cannot be cultured - ie: false positive. Everyone going to hospital gets tested and false positive are likely high but everyone counted as a case. Cases, hospitalizations and deaths are likely over reported especially now since the virus peaked back in july. go look up the flu reports for this season - every single report shows cases of flu are down 80-90% from last year. so is the spike really covid? or is it the flu with covid false positives. I can't get any response from azdhs.