State Reports Record Positive COVID-19 Cases, Increasing Hospitalizations

The number of COVID-19 cases across Oklahoma continues to climb with more than 1,500 positive cases in the last 24 hours.

The state of Oklahoma reported 758 people are now in the hospital with COVID-19 statewide, which is the highest it has been during the pandemic. OU’s Chief COVID-19 Officer Dr. Dale Bratzler is working to monitor the rise in hospitalizations.

"I know there are a lot of questions about hospitalization and capacity,” said Dr. Bratzler. “There has been some movement of a few patients around because of some concerns about capacity. Oklahoma in general still has hospital bed capacity."

Dr. Bratzler said there are still beds available but said there could be limitations with staffing down the line, especially with a few cases of the flu already being reported in Oklahoma.

"If we were to see an early outbreak of influenza, and it generated a lot of hospitalizations, we could get our hospitals into trouble in a hurry," said Bratzler.

Dr. Bratzler said on average, patients admitted to the hospital in Oklahoma only stay about four days before they're feeling well enough to go home. He said in severe cases, those who die from the virus, usually do so within 10 days of being admitted.

"Typically, they're very ill and they go downhill quite rapidly," said Bratzler.

Dr. Bratzler also said they're noticing more cases in rural areas per capita. That means, in his opinion, community spread of the virus is widespread statewide and everyone should be careful.

"The reality is we're just not seeing much slowing,” said Bratzler. “We're still seeing a thousand new cases a day in our state."

Dr. Bratzler said there continues to be new treatments and therapies for people hospitalized by COVID-19 and they are more prepared now to treat patients than at the start of the pandemic.

So far, more than 82,000 people have recovered in Oklahoma.