State Officials Concerned About Rise In COVID-19 Cases Tied To Delta Variant

Some Oklahoma doctors say they're worried about a recent rise in COVID-19 cases across northeastern Oklahoma.

While the number is still low compared to earlier in the pandemic, researchers believe the Delta variant is spreading in the state.

"I personally believe that we're going to continue to see the Delta variant which is the predominant strain in Missouri right now,” said Dr. Dale Bratzler, Chief COVID Officer for OU Health. “We're going to see it march down I-44 and come into Oklahoma."

Bratzler said several counties in northeast Oklahoma are seeing a recent rise in COVID-19 infections, many of which he believes are the Delta variant, a strain he said is more infectious.

"This is the variant that truly devastated India in terms of hospitalizations, death and illness," said Bratzler.

Bratzler said Oklahoma is not doing as much genomic sequencing to determine variants, but said southwest Missouri is seeing some of the highest numbers in the entire country, with the Delta variant representing more than 50 percent of cases there.

Missouri also ranks second in new cases overall. Arkansas is third.

"Oklahoma used to be 50th. Now we're number 11," said Bratzler.

Despite the increase, Oklahoma is averaging about 200 new cases per day, a much smaller number than the peak of about 4,200 back in January. That’s a 95 percent decrease.

Still, Bratzler said vaccinations are the most effective way to protect yourself, with the Pfizer vaccine 88 percent effective against the Delta variant.

"If we can slow infections, we can slow mutations," said Bratzler.

Almost 1.5 million Oklahomans are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19.