Now that the calendar page has turned to 2022, we look back on the top stories of the year based on your interest.

A veterinary drug called xylazine is mixed with drugs like fentanyl, and the antidote that could save a user from an opioid overdose will not work with xylazine. Steve Dudley, PharmD, DABAT, director of the UArizona Poison and Drug Information Center, says there’s no antidote to a lot of dangerous drugs but hospital staff will do what they can even if it’s unknown what someone has taken.

Politico Nightly asked public health experts what the Biden administration could or should have done differently to prepare for this moment. Saskia Popescu, PhD, MPH, MA, an epidemiologist and adjunct professor at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, is quoted.

Data from the ongoing AZ HEROES study found that the COVID-19 vaccine is highly effective at preventing infection in Arizona teens.

Post-boost, we pump out more antibodies than we did after the first shots; they’ll naturally take longer to dip below a protective threshold. Repeat exposures to a vaccine can also up the quality of antibodies, which get iteratively better at sniping SARS-CoV-2 down.

The rapid spread of the omicron variant could be a major setback for efforts to reverse sharp inequality in the accessibility of effective coronavirus vaccines around the world, public health experts warn.

People who are diabetic are more susceptible to serious cases of COVID-19 and further health complications, and having diabetes can elevate the likelihood of having a breakthrough case of COVID-19. Shad Marvasti, MD, MPH, director of public health, prevention and health promotion at the College of Medicine – Phoenix, spoke to The Show about the connections between diabetes and COVID-19.

Saskia Popescu, PhD, an adjunct professor of public health, said the White House's new omicron measures must be paired with additional precautions at the community level, such as wearing masks at large events and limiting indoor gatherings in areas with high transmission.

COVID-19 infections have slowed over the last week in Arizona, but hospitals remain crowded and modeling suggests January is likely to be one of the most difficult months of the pandemic in the state. “For hospitals, I think it’s going to be as difficult as it was last year, it just may be for slightly different reasons," said Joe Gerald, MD, PhD, an associate professor in the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health.

COVID-19 dominated coverage but research by faculty, staff and students continued to advance health care and make headlines around the world.