New Arizona Map Tracking The Coronavirus By ZIP Code Has Problems

By Holliday Moore, Steve Goldstein
Howard Fischer, Capitol Media Services
Published: Tuesday, April 14, 2020 - 8:34am
Updated: Tuesday, April 14, 2020 - 1:22pm
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On Sunday, Arizona released a breakdown of coronavirus cases by ZIP code.

But the numbers from the Arizona Department of Health Services may be painting a flawed picture.

The DHS data indicate hot spots of infection. Especially in a southern Tucson area, where there are 67 cases — more than any other ZIP code in the state.

It puts the infection rate at 4.5 per 1,000 residents. But the word "residents" is misleading, because the state requires clinics to give their own address when the patient is unknown.

It's not clear if the bulk of those cases arose from patients diagnosed at a hospital inside that ZIP code.

Other gaps in the reporting include huge swaths of missing data for some Native American communities and no reported cases at Fort Huachuca or Luke Air Force Base.

Marc Adams, an Associate Professor in the College of Health Solutions at ASU, joined The Show to talk about how having more figures could make a difference in finding solid answers on the Coronavirus.

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