University: State sets record for weekly COVID-19 deaths

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma has set a new record for COVID-19 deaths in a week, as state health officials on Sunday reported more than 8,000 new cases of the disease caused by the novel coronavirus over two days.

Oklahoma had 170 deaths from COVID-19 over the last seven days, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The previous one-week record of 168 deaths was set in early December.

State health officials recorded 5,002 new cases of the virus on Saturday and another 3,015 on Sunday, as well as 20 additional deaths. The actual number of cases is believed to be far higher because many people haven’t been tested and some who get sick don’t show symptoms.

There were more than 36,000 active cases of the virus in Oklahoma and 1,910 people hospitalized with it Sunday, according to the State Department of Health.

Over the last seven days, nearly one in five coronavirus tests in Oklahoma has come back positive, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up within weeks. But for others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the virus can cause severe illness and be fatal.