Oklahoma’s COVID-19 cases grow by 310

by: K. Querry-Thompson

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Health officials say there were 310 additional COVID-19 cases reported in Oklahoma.

On Monday, data from the Oklahoma State Department of Health shows that the state has had 432,793 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since March of 2020.

That’s an increase of 310 cases.

State health officials say they are now including the CDC’s number of COVID-19 deaths as a provisional count.

COVID-19 death discrepancy: OSDH adds CDC numbers to daily report 

Health officials tell KFOR that since the switch, the death counts will only be updated weekly on Tuesdays.

The Oklahoma State Health Department has always tracked COVID-19 deaths in multiple ways. We have reported the CDC death numbers, which are based purely on death certificates, and our own methodology, which counts deaths after an epidemiological investigation in Acute Disease Service (ADS). Both systems are correct, but each comes with its pros and cons for evaluating deaths related to COVID-19.

As cases increased toward the end of 2020, our investigating epidemiologists began encountering larger numbers of incomplete records requiring in-depth investigation. This has resulted in an increasing difference between the OSDH death count and the one reported by CDC.

Both the CDC and ADS numbers will continue to be available to Oklahomans, but the CDC number will become our primary reported number.

We will also continue our case investigation process through ADS and state epidemiologists. However, we feel this reporting change will align better with CDC’s numbers and will provide the most up-to-date and transparent information for Oklahomans.

Addressing a global crisis in our home state requires flexibility to change course when conditions on the ground mandate a new approach. This is one of those times.

Transparency and access to data is the priority here, and we feel this change is best to keep our state accountable to all Oklahomans during the ongoing fight against COVID-19. Every single death in Oklahoma is a tragedy, and every single life has been and will be counted and remembered as we endure this pandemic.”

STATE EPIDEMIOLOGIST DR. JARED TAYLOR

As a result of that inclusion, the deaths jumped to 7,486, compared to the 4,701 reported by the health department.

So far, the state reports that 745,497 Oklahomans have received their first dose of the vaccine, while 413,702 have completed both doses.

Here is a link to the most recent Epidemiology Report provided by the state.

Here is the breakdown of COVID-19 cases in Oklahoma counties:

• Adair: 3,145 (26 deaths) (2,974 recovered)
• Alfalfa: 1,150 (5 deaths) (1,136 recovered)
• Atoka: 1,831 (13 deaths) (1,732 recovered)
• Beaver: 453 (6 deaths) (430 recovered)
• Beckham: 2,819 (39 deaths) (2,683 recovered)
• Blaine: 1,012 (8 deaths) (965 recovered)
• Bryan: 6,006 (57 deaths) (5,725 recovered)
• Caddo: 3,884 (61 deaths) (3,688 recovered)
• Canadian: 16,254 (100 deaths) (15,802 recovered)
• Carter: 5,825 (63 deaths) (5,601 recovered)
• Cherokee: 5,500 (44 deaths) (5,207 recovered)
• Choctaw: 1,592 (14 deaths) (1,506 recovered)
• Cimarron: 203 (1 death) (197 recovered)
• Cleveland: 29,247 (282 deaths) (27,987 recovered)
• Coal: 686 (14 deaths) (655 recovered)
• Comanche: 12,535 (145 deaths) (11,871 recovered)
• Cotton: 659 (14 deaths) (613 recovered)
• Craig: 1,916 (11 deaths) (1,843 recovered)
• Creek: 6,685 (121 deaths) (6,428 recovered)
• Custer: 4,044 (72 deaths) (3,895 recovered)
• Delaware: 4,477 (63 deaths) (4,291 recovered)
• Dewey: 538 (6 deaths) (519 recovered)
• Ellis: 353 (3 deaths) (341 recovered)
• Garfield: 7,656 (82 deaths) (7,409 recovered)
• Garvin: 3,505 (54 deaths) (3,347 recovered)
• Grady: 5,739 (80 deaths) (5,526 recovered)
• Grant: 543 (7 deaths) (529 recovered)
• Greer: 567 (17 deaths) (515 recovered)
• Harmon: 294 (3 deaths) (272 recovered)
• Harper: 409 (4 deaths) (395 recovered)
• Haskell: 1,235 (11 deaths) (1,172 recovered)
• Hughes: 1,183 (18 deaths) (1,108 recovered)
• Jackson: 2,973 (45 deaths) (2,826 recovered)
• Jefferson: 675 (12 deaths) (650 recovered)
• Johnston: 1,343 (20 deaths) (1,269 recovered)
• Kay: 5,134 (83 deaths) (4,913 recovered)
• Kingfisher: 2,004 (26 deaths) (1,948 recovered)
• Kiowa: 804 (16 deaths) (751 recovered)
• Latimer: 827 (9 deaths) (791 recovered)
• Le Flore: 5,462 (46 deaths) (5,295 recovered)
• Lincoln: 3,128 (57 deaths) (2,990 recovered)
• Logan: 4,076 (31 deaths) (3,885 recovered)
• Love: 1,441 (13 deaths) (1,398 recovered)
• Major: 948 (12 deaths) (913 recovered)
• Marshall: 1,898 (12 deaths) (1,846 recovered)
• Mayes: 4,084 (39 deaths) (3,890 recovered)
• McClain: 5,102 (52 deaths) (4,881 recovered)
• McCurtain: 3,860 (69 deaths) (3,608 recovered)
• McIntosh: 1,951 (37 deaths) (1,819 recovered)
• Murray: 1,942 (23 deaths) (1,866 recovered)
• Muskogee: 9,181 (113 deaths) (8,659 recovered)
• Noble: 1,362 (14 deaths) (1,299 recovered)
• Nowata: 1,119 (16 deaths) (1,078 recovered)
• Okfuskee: 1,773 (21 deaths) (1,712 recovered)
• Oklahoma: 82,710 (791 deaths) (79,612 recovered)
• Okmulgee: 3,657 (50 deaths) (3,523 recovered)
• Osage: 4,538 (56 deaths) (4,388 recovered)
• Other: 12 (3 recovered)
• Ottawa: 3,701 (48 deaths) (3,566 recovered)
• Pawnee: 1,743 (33 deaths) (1,659 recovered)
• Payne: 8,494 (49 deaths) (8,263 recovered)
• Pittsburg: 4,538 (42 deaths) (4,345 recovered)
• Pontotoc: 4,999 (49 deaths) (4,801 recovered)
• Pottawatomie: 8,044 (81 deaths) (7,760 recovered)
• Pushmataha: 999 (14 deaths) (948 recovered)
• Roger Mills: 385 (7 deaths) (363 recovered)
• Rogers: 10,072 (124 deaths) (9,680 recovered)
• Seminole: 2,786 (41 deaths) (2,642 recovered)
• Sequoyah: 4,017 (32 deaths) (3,860 recovered)
• Stephens: 4,728 (71 deaths) (4,568 recovered)
• Texas: 3,473 (25 deaths) (3,378 recovered)
• Tillman: 762 (15 deaths) (722 recovered)
• Tulsa: 72,005 (746 deaths) (70,025 recovered)
• Wagoner: 7,788 (86 deaths) (7,535 recovered)
• Washington: 4,943 (91 deaths) (4,731 recovered)
• Washita: 1,061 (9 deaths) (1,022 recovered)
• Woods: 1,192 (11 deaths) (1,162 recovered)
• Woodward: 3,114 (20 deaths) (3,022 recovered)

In all, officials believe there are 11,865 active cases of COVID-19 across Oklahoma.

According to health department data on Monday, officials believe 416,227 Oklahomans have recovered from the virus.

State officials urge Oklahomans to stay away from ill patients and to frequently wash their hands. Also, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

At this point, Americans are urged to practice ‘social distancing’ by staying in their homes as much as possible and not going out into a crowd.

The virus is mainly spread from person-to-person, and symptoms usually appear two to 14 days after exposure. Officials stress that the most common symptoms are fever, cough, and shortness of breath.

If you do become sick, you are asked to stay away from others. If you have been in an area where the coronavirus is known to be spreading or been around a COVID-19 patient and develop symptoms, you are asked to call your doctor ahead of time and warn them that you might have been exposed to the virus. That way, experts say, they have the ability to take extra precautions to protect staff and other patients.