Oklahoma's seven-day average of new COVID-19 infections fell below 100 on Monday for the first time since June 10, 2020.
The seven-day average is 99 right now. It peaked at more than 4,200 in January. OU Chief COVID Officer Dr. Dale Bratzler recently said he does not think the number of undetected cases is as bad as earlier in the pandemic, when there was an estimated five or six additional cases for every positive test. He does, however, think there may still be three additional cases for every positive test.
"But one of the reasons people don’t get tests done is if it’s not convenient. On the other hand, it’s very expensive to put the staffing and personnel in place to run a testing pod, and if you’re not doing very many tests, then it’s very difficult to justify it," Bratzler said.
Bratzler said rising vaccination rates seem to be pushing down case counts across the country. The vaccines are highly effective. Bratzler cited a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study that found a little more than 10,200 breakthrough infections among 101 million fully vaccinated Americans.
"That’s 0.01% of fully vaccinated people. So, again, get the vaccine. It’s very effective, and it prevents infections," Bratzler said.
According to the state health department, 1.3 million Oklahomans are fully vaccinated. That proportion trails the U.S. as a whole and ranks in the bottom 10 states.
