Oklahoma sees 3% increase in coronavirus cases in 24 hours

Posted: May 22, 2020 / 11:12 AM CDT

Updated: May 22, 2020 / 11:54 AM CDT

This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – As Oklahomans prepare to celebrate Memorial Day, health officials say the number of Oklahomans diagnosed with COVID-19 has grown to more than 5,800.

On Friday morning, data from the Oklahoma State Department of Health shows that the state currently has 5,849 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

According to the data, officials say the number of cases increased by 169 from Thursday’s numbers, or 3%.

The cases are in the following counties:

Adair: 79 (3 deaths)
Alfalfa: 1
Atoka: 1
Beaver: 24
Beckham: 6
Blaine: 4
Bryan: 19 (1 death)
Caddo: 132 (10 deaths)
Canadian: 123 (3 deaths)
Carter: 21 (1 death)
Cherokee: 28 (1 death)
Choctaw: 14
Cimarron: 1
Cleveland: 481 (37 deaths)
Coal: 1
Comanche: 236 (3 deaths)
Cotton: 5 (2 deaths)
Craig: 15
Creek: 88 (7 deaths)
Custer: 12
Delaware: 97 (16 deaths)
Dewey: 3
Garfield: 25 (1 death)
Garvin: 15 (1 death)
Grady: 72 (2 deaths)
Grant: 2
Greer: 66 (7 deaths)
Harper: 1
Haskell: 6
Jackson: 21 (1 death)
Jefferson: 3
Johnston: 3
Kay: 51 (7 deaths)
Kingfisher: 11
Kiowa: 6
Latimer: 5 (1 death)
Le Flore: 13 (1 death)
Lincoln: 21 (2 deaths)
Logan: 18 (1 death)
Love: 6
Major: 6 (1 death)
Marshall: 7
Mayes: 29 (4 deaths)
McClain: 95 (2 deaths)
McCurtain: 18
McIntosh: 11 (1 death)
Murray: 2
Muskogee: 34 (6 deaths)
Noble: 7
Nowata: 23
Okfuskee: 2
Oklahoma: 1,179 (55 deaths)
Okmulgee: 22
Osage: 93 (8 deaths)
Ottawa: 35 (2 deaths)
Pawnee: 29 (2 deaths)
Payne: 45 (1 death)
Pittsburg: 40 (3 deaths)
Pontotoc: 11 (2 deaths)
Pottawatomie : 56 (4 deaths)
Pushmataha: 2
Rogers: 73 (5 deaths)
Seminole: 21 (2 deaths)
Sequoyah: 14 (3 deaths)
Stephens: 37 (1 death)
Texas: 851 (5 deaths)
Tillman: 22 (1 death)
Tulsa: 890 (41 deaths)
Wagoner: 143 (17 deaths)
Washington: 309 (33 deaths)
Washita: 1
Woods: 3
Woodward: 3

Authorities reported three additional deaths. One of those deaths occurred in the past 24 hours and the others died between May 17 and May 20.

A woman in the 65 and older age group in Oklahoma County
A man in the 65 and older age group in Tulsa County
One man in the 50 to 64-year-old age group in Texas County

So far, officials say 307 Oklahoma patients have died and 926 people have been hospitalized. Currently, 190 patients are hospitalized.

According to health department data, officials believe 4,533 Oklahomans have recovered from the virus. Although the CDC recommends patients be tested twice to determine if they have recovered, health department officials say they are preserving tests for patients who are sick.

Instead, the Oklahoma State Department of Health identifies a person as recovered if they are currently not hospitalized or deceased and it has been 14 days since the onset of their symptoms or since they were diagnosed.

image of a test tube with covid-19 marked positive — (Photo by Thomas Imo/Photothek via Getty Images)

State officials urge Oklahomans to stay away from ill patients and to frequently wash their hands. Also, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

At this point, Americans are urged to practice ‘social distancing’ by staying in their homes as much as possible and not going out into a crowd.

The virus is mainly spread from person-to-person, and symptoms usually appear two to 14 days after exposure. Officials stress that the most common symptoms are fever, cough, and shortness of breath.

If you do become sick, you are asked to stay away from others. If you have been in an area where the coronavirus is known to be spreading or been around a COVID-19 patient and develop symptoms, you are asked to call your doctor ahead of time and warn them that you might have been exposed to the virus. That way, experts say, they have the ability to take extra precautions to protect staff and other patients.