Dr. Christian Bime, an assistant professor in the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson's Department of Medicine, is interviewed about his research into the long-term effects of COVID-19.

Frank Porreca, a professor of pharmacology and anesthesiology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson, talks about green-light exposure therapy as a low-cost, non-invasive treatment option for individuals with migraines.

Public health experts contacted by USA TODAY say high-profile state sports teams are not helping by evading local health orders to play sports. “They’re moving to a place that also has increasing cases and risks of exposure,” said Leila Barraza, associate professor at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona. “You’re going to interact with more people when you’re traveling. You’re safer at home.”

Hospitals and intensive care units in Arizona saw the highest total amount of their beds use on Sunday since the spike of COVID-19 cases in July and are facing sweeping staff shortages due to the pandemic. Joe Gerald, a public health expert from the University of Arizona, said this is happening across the country. While it is a priority to give care to a person who needs care, nurses and doctors are still needed to provide that necessary care.

Although the 2020 holiday season will be unlike any other we have experienced, with social distancing, safety protocols and restrictions on gatherings, millions of Americans still plan to travel throughout the holiday season. Gary Kirkilas, a clinical assistant professor of child health at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, discusses his concerns about holiday travel with kids.

As European countries go into lockdown again amid a cold, dark winter, people will be spending even more time indoors. Small changes in your home can make you mentally healthier. People always reference nature when asked what their favorite visual scene is, according to Esther Sternberg, research director at the University of Arizona Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine in Tucson, Arizona.

A Scottsdale man who was part of a COVID-19 vaccine trial describes what it was like and why people should get the vaccine. "These efficacy rates are great. They're phenomenal, actually. They're probably the best they could be," said Dr. Shad Marvasti, director of public health, prevention and health promotion with the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix.

Drs. Paloma Beamer and Kacey Ernst of the College of Public Health helped inform an anxious public about air travel during a pandemic.

Top public health officials are taking their own advice about scaling down the holiday amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "My husband and I are bubbling with my parents, who live 90 miles away. We're being vigilant about quarantining for 14 days and then we’re all going to get tested in advance. We had to decide to (celebrate) with one set of in-laws, instead of both, so that was an awkward conversation. But we’ll probably celebrate Christmas with my husband’s family," said Saskia Popescu, an infectious disease epidemiologist and adjunct professor at the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health.

According to the University of Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center, seven people have died this year across Arizona from ingesting hand sanitizer. "Seven may sound small when compared to deaths from COVID-19 but seven is large when it should be zero," said Steve Dudley, director of the Center.