Healthier Oklahoma Coalition Provides COVID-19 Update

Oklahoma health experts say the number of COVID-19 cases continues to drop week after week due to Oklahomans having some form of immunity. Doctors say for those who do test positive, they are seeing more people with the BA.2 variant.

The Healthier Oklahoma Coalition said the Omicron BA.2 sub-variant now makes up more than 70 percent of all new Covid cases in the state. That number is up almost fifteen percent from two weeks ago.

Experts say the number of new cases is still relatively low due to 50-60% of people across the state being vaccinated and/or boosted. They say many people also have immunity from having the virus in previous months.

Experts say the people infected during January's Omicron wave have about 90 days before their natural immunity begins to wear off. They say they are looking at May and June for another potential spike in cases.

“If you have not had your second booster and you qualify please go do so. If you have not had your primary immunization or your booster please go do so. That is what’s going to protect all of us including our family and friends from hospitalizations or death,” Dr. Mary Clark, President of Oklahoma State Medical Association said.

The State Department of Health has changed the way it reports case numbers, switching from a daily positive case count to when symptoms began instead.