The numbers can be numbing. And that’s exactly what state health officials fear.

The numbers can be numbing. And that’s exactly what health officials fear.

Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Arizona reached 520,207 on Thursday, Dec. 31, an increase of 7,718 from the previous day, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. There were 188,265 new COVID-19 cases in Arizona in December, which means 36 percent of the state’s total number of cases since the start of the pandemic came in December alone.

The numbers can be numbing. And that’s exactly what health officials fear.

Public confidence in the COVID-19 vaccination is growing, according to a study from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

In this time of lockdowns, masking, and physical distancing, elected officials — and leaders of all types — are finding both these quotes to be true.

The longer the pandemic drags on, and the more trauma and anxiety it causes, the more people start to feel like contracting and spreading COVID-19 is out of their control. More people are starting to experience caution fatigue, or "COVID fatigue," experts say, and it's causing them to make decisions that increase their risk of contracting the virus.

As Nevadans stay home to counter the third COVID-19 spike, some health experts acknowledge many are dealing with COVID fatigue, resulting in some people letting their guard down.