LAWTON – COVID figures are steadily increasing at Lawton Public Schools and one local hospital.
Like most other places, Lawton’s Comanche County Memorial Hospital has experienced an increase in COVID patients largely due to the Omicron variant. CCMH has 30 COVID patients and 23 are unvaccinated, which leaves health officials frustrated.
The hospital also reported Dec. 29 that 14 of the COVID patients need mechanical breathing assistance. Four COVID patients are in the intensive care unit, and three of those patients are unvaccinated.
“We definitely are beginning to see the uptick of what could be our next surge,” said Heather Love, administrative director of quality, safety, risk management and education at CCMH. “The prediction models showed this to occur in late February to mid-March, but we are thinking it is beginning now. Only time will tell. Regardless of when it actually happens, we have kept all of our precautions in place for preparation for the next phase.”
CCMH officials, along with state and national health experts, contend vaccination will curtail the COVID virus and that the vaccines will be able to fight the Omicron variant along with mask wearing and commonsense social distancing and handwashing. Meanwhile, Lawton Public Schools reported seven students remain isolated because of a positive test, which is up three cases from two weeks ago. That figure could rise after students return from the Christmas break. Eisenhower Middle School has six active cases, which is the most of any school in the district.
At the same time, 25 other students are quarantined because of close contact with someone who tested positive for the virus, figures from Dec. 17 show.
The school district reported 80 positive tests for teachers since Aug. 12 and 422 for students.
The Oklahoma State Department of Health has reported 2,602,348 (65.8%) eligible Oklahomans have received at least one dose of the vaccine and 2,111,056 (53.4%) were fully vaccinated as of Dec. 28. The state’s goal is to vaccinate 70% of eligible Oklahomans.
Comanche County figures are better than the statewide numbers. More than 70% of Comanche County residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, according to Covidactnow.org.
Health Department figures show 330 people in Comanche County have died from COVID since it hit. Statewide, 12,405 residents have perished from the disease.