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Friday, Dec. 1, 2023

Does Oklahoma have one of the highest COVID-19 death tolls in the nation as of November 4, 2023?


yes

As of November 4, 2023, Oklahoma has the second-highest COVID-19 death rate in the nation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Since January 1, 2020, Oklahoma’s total deaths per 100,000 from COVID-19 has been 429.9, equating to a death rate of about 0.43%. Oklahoma is preceded only by Mississippi, whose COVID-19 death rate is 433 per 100,000 people, or 0.433%. The national average death rate is 288.5 per 100,000 Americans, or approximately 0.289%.

A low statewide vaccination rate and high rates of chronic illness, which predispose individuals to more severe cases of COVID-19, are responsible for Oklahoma’s high death rate, according to Oklahoma Health Commissioner Keith Reid.

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