Map updated on Friday, Dec. 18, 2020. Courtesy of the Tulsa Health Department.
Overall, the Tulsa Health Department’s COVID-19 risk map didn’t change too much in Friday’s update from its record onslaught of red and dark-red color codes a week ago, but it does show some improvements.
Now 19 Tulsa County ZIP codes are in dark red, which indicates extreme severe risk of COVID-19 — down from 22 a week ago. Eighteen 18 ZIP codes are shown in red for severe risk. The other five are orange for high risk.
The Dec. 11 map featured twice as many dark red ZIP codes as the prior week’s, so, for one week at least, the upward trajectory has leveled off or even slightly declined.
But it was only two weeks ago that the Tulsa Health Department began using the dark red shade, based on Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine methodology to better delineate just how unrelenting the disease’s spread is here now.
Tulsa County and Oklahoma aren’t alone in COVID misery.
Dr. Dale Bratzler, the University of Oklahoma’s COVID chief, noted on Friday that the previous day was a particularly sad one in the U.S.
“There were nearly a quarter million cases reported in the United States yesterday alone — the highest number ever,” Bratzler said. “One hundred and thirteen thousand people were admitted to the hospital yesterday in the United States, and there were 3,656 deaths in the United States just yesterday.
“That’s more than two Americans every single minute of the day, so we are nowhere near out of this pandemic yet. There’s still considerable spread.”
Bratzler pointed out that Oklahoma’s Alfalfa County is No. 1 in the nation for COVID spread per capita, indicative of how bad the transmission is in rural America.
“Since the start of the pandemic they’ve only had 816 cases, but they’ve had 243 cases in the past one week,” he said of Alfalfa County, which is in the northwestern part of the state.
Bratzler said some COVID-19 testing sites in Oklahoma closed because of the recent snow and ice. Last week 33,000 fewer tests were done than the prior week, he said, and that trend appears to be the same this week.
“Through yesterday, the state reported 97,140 tests done this week in Oklahoma,” he said. “Of those, 15.3% are positive. So we continue to see a very high rate of positivity, which means that we’re continuing to see community spread of the virus.”
The Tulsa Health Department’s ZIP code map is based on the 14-day moving average of active cases per 1,000 residents.
The dark-red category is divided into three levels, with only one ZIP code in the worst zone, an improvement from three a week ago. Five are in the second dark-red tier, and 13 are in the first dark-red level.
A week ago, five were in the second dark-red shade, and 14 were in the first dark-red shade.
The interactive ZIP code map can be viewed on THD’s COVID-19 data page, along with PDFs that contain guidance for each hazard level.
Featured video: Tulsa Health Department's Bruce Dart talks about COVID-19 risk map
COVID-19 basics everyone needs to know as the pandemic continues
How it spreads, who's at risk
Studies have shown many infected people show no symptoms or have symptoms so mild they may go undetected; those people can still transmit COVID-19 to About 20% of patients diagnosed with COVID-19 require hospitalization.
The disease can be fatal, especially for vulnerable populations: those older than 65, living in a nursing home or long-term care facility, and anyone with underlying health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, lung disease or obesity.
Science of virus spread
COVID-19 is spread mainly from person to person via respiratory droplets produced by an infected person. Spread is most likely when people are in close contact, within about 6 feet. A person might also be infected with COVID-19 after touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their face. According to the CDC, evidence suggests the novel coronavirus may remain viable for hours to days on surfaces, though that form of transmission is said to be minor.
Transmission between people more than 6 feet from one another may occur in poorly ventilated and enclosed spaces, the CDC says, especially where activities cause heavier breathing, such as singing or exercising.
The infectious period for patients can begin up to 48 hours before symptom onset.
List of symptoms
The CDC recently expanded its list of possible symptoms of COVID-19. The symptoms can appear from two days to two weeks after exposure.
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
This list does not include all possible symptoms and will continue to be updated by the CDC. One symptom not included is "purple toes," which someone may experience with no other symptoms, sometimes several weeks after the acute phase of an infection is over. The coloration and pain is caused by a lack of blood flow to the toes caused by excessive blood clotting, a late-stage concern with COVID-19 infections.
Kinds of testing
Those getting tested may experience different kinds of swabs. The viral test, known as PCR, involves a deep nasal swab that can be painful.
Other tests that require less-invasive swabs may produce results faster, but with less accuracy. These should not be used diagnostically.
It is not yet known whether COVID-19 antibodies can protect someone being infected again or how long protection might last.
The 'serious seven'
The "serious seven" refer to close contact environments where residents should take extra precautions if they choose to attend. The seven are gyms, weddings, house gatherings, bars, funerals, faith-based activities and other small events, according to Tulsa Health Department Director Bruce Dart.
Treatments being investigated
The FDA has allowed for antiviral drug remdesivir, previously tested on humans with Ebola, to treat more severe cases of COVID-19 in adults and children. Safety and effectiveness aside, preliminary studies have shown it can shorten recovery time for some patients.
After previously approving an emergency use authorization, the FDA as of July 1 cautions against use of hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine for COVID-19 outside of the hospital setting or a clinical trial. A review of safety issues includes reports of serious heart rhythm problems and other safety issues, including blood and lymph system disorders, kidney injuries, and liver problems and failure.
Convalescent serum therapy
Some patients are receiving convalescent serum, meaning the antibodies made by people who have recovered after a COVID-19 infection. Antibody-rich blood plasma is being given to severely or critically ill COVID-19 patients, including Ascension St. John, Saint Francis Health System, OSU Center for Health Sciences and Hillcrest HealthCare System in Tulsa.
From June to July, requests for convalescent plasma from the Oklahoma Blood Institute multiplied seven-fold.
Recovery, as defined by CDC
To be considered recovered (without a test), these three things must happen, the CDC advises:
- No fever for at least 72 hours (three full days of normal temperature without the use of medicine)
- Other symptoms improved (no more cough, etc.)
- At least 10 days since symptoms first appeared
Corey Jones
Staff Writer
I am a general assignment reporter who predominately writes about public health, public safety and justice reform. I'm in journalism to help make this community, state, country and, ultimately, world a better place.
