Oklahoma coronavirus cases reaching plateau, OU doctor says

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The number of coronavirus cases and related hospitalizations in Oklahoma appears to have reached a plateau, the head of coronavirus response for the University of Oklahoma said Thursday.

“The number of new cases per day is very slightly trending down,” based on rolling averages compiled by the Oklahoma State Department of Health, said OU Health Dr. Dale Bratzler. “We’ve been in the mid to low 300s now for the past week or so.”

“And hospitalizations have largely plateaued — we’re staying right around 200 people a day in the hospital,” Bratzler said.

The seven-day rolling averaged reached a high of 4,256 cases on Jan. 13 and hospitalizations topped out at 1,994 on Jan. 5, according to health department reports.

The rolling average of daily new cases, based on data from Johns Hopkins University, has declined 466.6 on March 16 to 318.4 on Tuesday.

Bratzler warned, though, the virus infections are rising in some areas of the United States, particularly the northeast and in Michigan, and urged residents to continue wearing masks at large indoor events.

There have been a reported 438,777 virus cases in Oklahoma since the pandemic began and 7,898 deaths, based on death certificates provided to the federal Centers for Disease Control, according to the health department.