More than 500 Arkansans have died of COVID this year

COVID-19 related deaths for this year reached 530 in Arkansas as of Nov. 4, according to the state Department of Health's latest respiratory virus report.

Context: That's down steeply from past years. About 3,400 people in Arkansas died of the virus in 2022, and nearly 5,300 died in 2021, according to the health department.

• Yes, but: Respiratory viruses tend to spike in the colder months.

Zoom out: Two Arkansans have died of the flu since Oct. 1.

Go deeper: The CDC recommends that everyone age 6 months and older get the updated COVID-19 vaccine.