Prevalence of COVID-19 Amongst Arizona First Responders

COVID-19 continues to be a major public health crisis in the United States and around the world. In the state of Arizona alone there have been over 887,000 cases, and 17,779 deaths reported since the pandemic first began. First responders, including firefighters, law enforcement officers, and emergency medical services personnel, are in continuous contact with the public and are therefore believed to be at high risk for COVID-19. A retrospective study analyzing COVID-19 antigen positivity rates among first responders in the Phoenix metropolitan area between December 27, 2020 and February 6, 2021 was conducted. A total of 201 first responders received COVID-19 antigen testing and a total of 45 tested positive yielding a 22.4% positivity rate. Positivity rates among firefighters were equivalent to, or above, the rate of the general public in both Phoenix and Arizona. Continued vigilance is required to ensure the safety of first responders during this continued pandemic.