Local Health Leaders Advise Public To Take Precautions Against COVID As Summer Travel Increases

Recent data from the State Health Department shows Tulsa County is among the highest areas of transmission in the state for COVID-19.

The Tulsa Health Department said taking precautions is key with more people traveling and congregating inside because of the summer heat.

Some of the COVID-19 variants of interest are KP.1 and KP.2. Both are underneath the omicron linage. Symptoms of the variants are similar to getting the cold or flu.

Health experts encourage the public to wash their hands, stay up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations, and stay home if you're not feeling well.

Epidemiologist Ashley Bailey with Tulsa Health Department said KP.1 and KP.2 variants are like other strains of COVID-19.

“Very similar because it's underneath the omicron variant. There’s no specific mutations that we’re seeing that will cause a more severity of illness. The good news is that with COVID-19, regardless of the variant or lineage that we see the variant come across, prevention methods are the same," Bailey said.

The Tulsa Health Department has community resource members out educating the public on how they can best protect themselves.

Bailey encourages people to pay closer attention to people younger or older in age because they tend to have the greater impact from the virus.