Oklahoma surpasses 500 Coronavirus cases, death toll rises to 23

Oklahoma’s total Coronavirus cases surpassed 500 on Tuesday, with 84 new confirmations and six more deaths, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health. The department said there are at least 565 cases in 47 of the state’s 77 counties, up from 481 on Monday. The number of COVID-19 deaths rose from 17 to 23.

Four deaths were men 65 or older, plus one man and one woman, both 50-64 years old.

The increase comes a day after University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Chief of Infectious Diseases Dr. Douglas Drevets estimated the state has identified about 10% of all cases.

“There are studies from China suggesting that they only identified 15 percent of all the cases ... and that was using more widespread testing than we have here in Oklahoma,” Drevets said. “I am guessing that we are identifying one out of every 10.”

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.