Ignore COVID zip code numbers, says Pima Co. Health Director

Says they’re a useless reading of risk

COVID HOTSPOTS -- BY ZIP CODE.SOME OF THE HOTTEST -- AS WESAID -- ARE IN PIMA COUNTY.BUT AS 9 ON YOUR SIDE'S CRAIGSMITH REPORTS -- HEALTHEXPERTS SAY (THAT DATA'S NOTAS USEFUL -- AS YOU MAY THINK.IT MAY GIVE YOU A FALSE SENSEOF SECURITY.IT'S ONLY NATURAL TO WANT TOKNOW WHERE THE COVID HOTSPOTSARE AND NOW THERE'S A WAY TODO THAT---BUT HEALTH EXPERTSSAY WHETHER YOU'RE IN AHOTSPOT OR A COOL ZONE NOTHINGIN THAT INFORMATION SHOULDCRANK UP YOUR ANXIETY OR BE AGREEN LIGHT TO DROP YOURGUARD.

NOW THAT ARIZONA'SRELEASED AN INTERACTIVE MAPTHAT LETS YOU COUNT CASES BYZIP CODE PEOPLE RUSHED TO FINDTHE HOTTEST OF THE HOT SPOTS.85714, JUST SOUTHWEST OFDAVIS-MONTHAN SHOWED 67 CASESBUT A LARGE SHARE WERE IN ONESPOT-- SAPPHIRE OF TUCSONNURSING AND REHABILTATION.

INLATE MARCH SAPPHIRE REPORTED24 PATIENTS AND THREE STAFFMEMBERS AS POSITIVE FOR COVIDJUST SOUTH OF THERE 85706SHOWED 49 CASES.

OTHER ZIPCODES REPORT NUMBERS AS LOW ASBETWEEN ONE AND FIVE BUT PIMACOUNTY'S ACTING HEALTHDEPARTMENT DIRECTOR SAYS NONEOF THOSE NUMBERS WILL HELPKEEP YOU SAFE.

DR BOB ENGLANDSAYS THEY'RE A REFLECTION OFWHERE PEOPLE WERE ABLE TO GETTESTED---AND THEY SAY NOTHINGABOUT WHERE YOU MIGHT CATCHTHE VIRUS.

"IT REALLY DOESN'TMEAN MUCH.

WHERE PEOPLE LIVE,AND ARE GETTING LIT UP INTHESE ZIP CODES HAS NOTHING TODO WITH WHERE THEY GO SHOPPINGOR WHERE THEY WORK, OR WHERETHEY MIGHT HAVE GOTTENINFECTED OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.HIS ADVICE IS IGNORE THE ZIPCODES AND TREAT COVID LIKEIT'S EVERYWHERE--- BECAUSE ITIS.

"DO YOU WONDER WHETHERSOMEBODY HAS BEEN IN YOURGROCERY STORE WITH THIS YET ORNOT.

YEAH, THEY HAVE ALMOSTFOR SURE.

THERE ARE PROBABLY50, OR MORE POSITIVE ORINFECTED INDIVIDUALS OUT THEREFOR EVERY ONE OF THESE TESTSTHAT WE HAVE POSITIVE RESULTSON.

CRAIG SMITH, KGUN9 ON YOURSIDE.NATIONWIDE -- PR