Flu levels are climbing again across Oklahoma, and the warning signs are bubbling up straight from the sewers. State wastewater readings and surveillance reports show influenza activity rising, with clinical test positivity and flu-related hospital visits moving back up. The trend is especially pronounced among older adults, and the sharpest signals are turning up in Tulsa and Oklahoma counties, where health systems are already watching emergency and inpatient units closely.
As reported by KTUL, Oklahoma State Department of Health charts show flu test percent-positivity peaking in late December, dropping through most of January, and now heading up again, with the statewide positivity rate above 20%. State officials also report that large amounts of influenza genetic material are showing up in wastewater, with elevated signals across several sampling sites. The state’s wastewater program page explains that samples are collected with university and local partners at utility sewersheds to estimate how much virus is circulating in community wastewater, and that respiratory virus data on the agency’s dashboards are updated on a weekly schedule.
How wastewater testing works
Wastewater surveillance detects viral genetic material that people shed into sewers and can flag community trends earlier than clinical testing alone, according to the CDC, because it captures infections from both symptomatic and asymptomatic people. CDC materials also note that wastewater results are most useful when viewed alongside hospital and laboratory data, since the tests cannot say for sure whether a detection came from a human infection or from environmental or animal sources. Academic work focused on Oklahoma wastewater has found that influenza levels in sewage have tracked seasonal peaks in hospitalizations and lab positivity in past seasons, which supports its use as a population-level surveillance tool.
Where cases are rising and who’s most affected
Local reporting points to the largest concentrations of cases in Tulsa and Oklahoma counties, and to an overall increase in flu-related hospitalizations across the state, with adults 65 and older the group most often ending up in the hospital. As KTUL noted, the renewed increase follows a late December peak and a mid January lull. Earlier local coverage based on Oklahoma State Department of Health data highlighted similar waves in test positivity and rising emergency room traffic during the height of the season.
What to watch and what to do
Public health officials continue to recommend vaccination as the strongest protection against severe flu. The CDC advises an annual flu shot for everyone 6 months and older and offers guidance on who should talk to a clinician about antiviral treatment. For the latest local patterns and details on wastewater and hospital trends, OSDH posts updated influenza, RSV, and COVID dashboards on its website each week. If you become sick, staying home, testing when possible, and contacting a health care provider if you are at higher risk are all steps that can help limit spread and improve outcomes.
