COVID-19 Cases Surge To End 2021

Oklahoma’s hospitals are busy, and most are at capacity with the available staff, just as COVID and flu numbers are increasing.

Oklahoma’s first flu death was reported Thursday, and the season typically peaks mid-winter.

Officials are urging people to take precautions against both COVID-19 and the flu, by getting vaccinated, wearing masks and practicing regular handwashing.

Adam Paluka with EMSA, said “Our entire system, from EMS to hospitals, we're all under tremendous amounts of stress and burden, so anything we can get the community to do to help us, the better.” 

He urged people to be cautious because staffing issues already have the system strained.

The State Department of Health reported 3,974 new cases of COVID-19 Friday, with 813 people hospitalized in Oklahoma, including 224 in intensive care.

COVID testing sites report higher traffic as illnesses increase and symptoms emerge from holiday infections.

Officials worry the peak of the Omicron variant in Oklahoma could correspond with the peak of the flu.

Priscilla Haynes, a prevention specialist with the Tulsa County Health Department, said “The precautions we had in place for COVID-19, mask wearing, hand washing, good hygiene, those are the same precautions for flu, and that's the reason our flu numbers were so low last year.” 

She urges people to get flu shots now, along with the COVID vaccine and boosters when they're eligible.

Both vaccinations can be done on the same day without issues, she said.