The Arizona Department of Health Services is reporting over 185,000 cases of COVID-19 as of Friday morning.

In Arizona, there are 185,053 cases and 4,081 deaths of the novel coronavirus, up 1,406 and 79 from Thursday morning, respectively. That equates to a 2.21% death rate of confirmed cases in the state.

The number of cases could be far higher because many people have not been tested, and some can be infected without feeling sick.

The Maricopa County Department of Public Health is reporting 124,136 cases and 2,228 deaths in Arizona most populous county. State and county numbers differ due to reporting times.

Maricopa County shows a case rate of 2,785 cases per 100,000 residents, using 2019 population estimates. The state rate is 2,542. Santa Cruz County has the highest at 5,701 cases per 100,000 residents.

As of Thursday, Arizona had the lowest R-naught in the nation at 0.86. This is the average number of people who become infected by an infectious person. Less than 1.0 is ideal, officials say.

According to data from Johns Hopkins University, the seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Arizona dropped over the past two weeks, going from 2,618.71 new cases per day on July 23 to 1,835.57 new cases per day on Aug. 6.

The seven-day rolling average of daily deaths in Arizona also dropped over the past two weeks, going from 81.57 deaths per day on July 23 to 53.71 deaths per day on Aug. 6.

Declines that saw COIVD-19 hospitalizations and related usage of intensive care beds and ventilators begin to drop in mid-July continued as of Thursday.

The coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms such as fever and cough for most people. The vast majority of people who are diagnosed with COVID-19 recover.

But for some — especially older adults and people with existing health problems — it can cause more severe illness including pneumonia, and death.

Warnings against ingesting sanitizer

A report released this week from the CDC found that four people have died and 11 others were hospitalized in Arizona and New Mexico after ingesting methanol-containing sanitizers.

The report from Wednesday says from May 1-June 30, there were 15 cases of methanol poisoning reported in Arizona and New Mexico, associated with swallowing alcohol-based hand sanitizers.

The affected people range in age from 21 to 65. Three men and one woman died. Four remain hospitalized while the rest have been discharged.

Alcohol-based hand sanitizers should only contain ethanol or isopropanol, but some products imported into the United States have been found to contain methanol, the CDC says.

Alcohol-based hand sanitizer products should never be ingested. In patients with compatible signs and symptoms or after having swallowed hand sanitizer, prompt evaluation for methanol poisoning is required, the CDC says. Health departments in all states should coordinate with poison centers to identify cases of methanol poisoning.

Hand hygiene is an important component of the U.S. response to the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. If soap and water are not readily available, the CDC recommends the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer products that contain at least 60% ethyl alcohol (ethanol) or 70% isopropyl alcohol (isopropanol) in community settings.

The case reports followed an FDA consumer alert issued on June 19, warning about specific hand sanitizers that contain methanol, the report states.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.