Oklahoma’s former state epidemiologist believes current COVID case numbers, which hover near record highs, are artificially low.
At an update by the Healthier Oklahoma coalition on Tuesday, OU College of Public Health professor and former state epidemiologist Dr. Aaron Wendelboe said a lag in reporting and drop in testing are making things look better than they actually are when it comes to the spread of the coronavirus.
"Well, one of the sources that is fairly reliable is the hospitalization data, because those aren’t really affected as much by the reporting. And, of course, the situation is not great. Our hospitals are full," Wendelboe said.
A record 1,994 Oklahomans were hospitalized for COVID-19 as of Tuesday night, including a record 447 Tulsa County residents.
Doctors and health experts have warned throughout the pandemic high hospitalization numbers lead to high death numbers. The state had a record number of deaths in December.
"COVID is the No. 3 leading cause of death. It is killing more Oklahomans — only heart disease and cancer kill more Oklahomans than COVID," Wendelboe said.
Wendelboe expects the situation will get worse because of people exposed to the virus over Christmas and New Year’s. He and other members of the Healthier Oklahoma coalition urge people to continue taking precautions against the illness, like wearing masks and avoiding large gatherings.
