Friday, Dec. 1, 2023
Does Oklahoma have one of the highest COVID-19 death tolls in the nation as of November 4, 2023?
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.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention United States COVID-19 Hospitalizations, Deaths, Emergency Department (ED) Visits, and Test Positivity by Geographic Area
- NPR This is how many lives could have been saved with COVID vaccinations in each state
- Public Radio Tulsa A new study finds Oklahoma has one of the highest rates of vaccine-preventable COVID deaths in the country
- The Oklahoman Is Oklahoma really No. 1 in 2021 COVID-19 deaths? Breaking down the state’s death rate
About fact briefs
Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by Gigafact contributor publications.
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Oklahoma Watch is a nonprofit, tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) corporation that produces in-depth and investigative journalism as a public service for the benefit of all Oklahomans. Through investigative, fact-driven journalism, we dig deep and examine significant issues facing our state. Our work engages all Oklahomans, amplifies the discussion of important issues and leads to change. We help develop the journalists and journalism of the future.
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