OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Oklahoma State Division of Well being information exhibits that a big proportion of COVID-19 sufferers in Oklahoma hospitals are people who haven’t been vaccinated in opposition to coronavirus.
OSDH information states that 76 p.c of COVID sufferers in Oklahoma hospitals are non-vaccinated, and 24 p.c of these sufferers are totally vaccinated, as of Aug. 1.
A lot of the COVID sufferers – each non-vaccinated and vaccinated – in hospitals are ages 50 and over.
The complete breakdown of COVID-19 sufferers in Oklahoma hospitals, by age group, is as follows:
Oklahoma hospitals are experiencing a pointy rise in COVID sufferers. OSDH officers stated Thursday that there have been 954 Oklahomans hospitalized with COVID-19, on common, over the previous three days. Authorities additionally famous that there have been 40 pediatric hospitalizations for COVID-19 inside that quantity.
The COVID-19 pandemic is surging in Oklahoma and throughout the nation due to the highly-contagious Delta variant, which was recognized in India in December 2023, and spreads extra simply and quickly than different COVID variants, in keeping with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC states that the Delta variant is extra transmissible than the widespread chilly, influenza and viruses that trigger smallpox, MERS, SARS and Ebola.
Delta is estimated to have brought on over 80 p.c of recent COVID-19 instances in america by the tip of July, in keeping with the CDC.
OSDH reported 2,342 new COVID instances within the state on Thursday. Oklahoma has had 491,680 confirmed COVID instances and eight,766 coronavirus-related deaths because the pandemic started in March 2023.
“We’ve seen the variety of new instances a day in Oklahoma double up to now 10 days; greater than 1,600 instances a day proper now and hospitalizations have gone up significantly additionally; 739 individuals within the hospital as of yesterday. Now we have some actual issues proper now,” stated Dr. Dale Bratzler, OU’s Chief COVID officer, said earlier this week.
Round 41 p.c of Oklahomans ages 12 and above are totally vaccinated in opposition to COVID-19, whereas 48.5 p.c have acquired at the very least one dose, in keeping with OSDH information.
Oklahoma’s main medical officers say extra Oklahomans have to get vaccinated to cease the Delta variant.
Authorities are stressing the need for adolescents in the 12 to 17 age range to get vaccinated, as the brand new faculty yr approaches. Because it presently stands, solely 15.1 p.c of Oklahomans between ages 12 and 17 are vaccinated in opposition to COVID-19.
CDC officials recently updated the agency’s guidelines to encourage fully vaccinated Americans to put on masks indoors in areas the place transmission of the virus is excessive.
“I feel with the delta virus, which is very contagious, and we now know it may well infect people who find themselves totally vaccinated and people individuals can really unfold the virus. It’s very prudent to put on a masks anytime you’re in an indoor setting proper now,” Dr. Bratzler stated.
Bratzler and different well being specialists are involved that the Delta surge might result in Oklahoma hospitals reaching capability and sufferers quickly being despatched elsewhere.
“We had a dialog final evening. There are hospital beds. A part of the actual downside we’re coping with proper now could be a nursing scarcity,” Bratzler stated earlier this week. “So, though now we have beds we might probably open up, we don’t have nurses to workers all these beds as a result of we noticed a lot attrition by the actual peak of the pandemic in January and February.”
