At the tail end of 2024, Oklahomans saw a huge spike in respiratory illnesses. Another wave has been hitting the people in this state this year, but this time, everyone's battling the flu. In fact, there are more Oklahomans currently fighting the flu than any other state besides Mississippi and the trend doesn't seem to be slowing down.

Walgreens Study Showing Oklahomans More Sick Than Most States Nationwide

Walgreens created an interactive map for users to see where there is currently the most flu activity across the nation. If you take a look at the map as of today, Jan. 24, you'll see that Oklahoma sits at #1 for the most flu activity in a Designated Market Area and are #2 on the list of states with the most flu activity, as of the week ending Jan. 18.

The problem is so rough for the majority of Oklahomans that even our local meteorologists are encouraging folks to amp up healthy practices.

Their numbers come from gathering weekly prescription data for antiviral medications used to treat influenze and purchased specifically from Walgreens locations nationwide, including Puerto Rico.

Last Years Numbers
Walgreens Flu Index map
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This is along the same trend as last year, when Oklahoma also saw incredibly high cases of influenza which started mid January and lingered until early March of 2024. If we know what to expect each year, you'd think we should have down by now what it is that we need to do for our own health and, in turn, our community's health.

It's Simple: Wash Your Hands & Do What You Should To Ward Off The Flu

@manuelavalles4 When Oklahoma is the state with the most flu cases in the United States and you are just trying to survive flu season with a very positive and patriotic attitude!‍⚕️ @Karlotajackson @jeaniemartin1974 #nursesoftiktok #influenzaa #Oklahoma #patriotic ♬ original sound - Manuela Valles

Professionals remind us every year and yet we still end up with outrageous numbers of people coming down with the flu. Granted, sometimes you just come down with something even if you do all of the work to prevent it from happening. But, just in case you aren't doing your part to prevent it from making its way to you, here's a refresher:

Wash your hands, sanitize and stay home when you're sick.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health also recommends you stay current with your seasonal flu shots. You can find locations for flu shots (options with and without insurance) in your area here.

If you're one of the unfortunate souls currently fighting the flu, just know we feel for you. Here are some of the most common foods we tend to eat when it's cold out to hopefully help make you feel better.

Eleven Things Oklahoman's Eat When It's Cold

When it comes to the favorite foods in Oklahoma, most of them revolve around a grill. Whether it's steak, burgers, dogs, BBQ, beer can chicken, etc... If it can be grilled, it will be an instant favorite across all palates in this state. But what do Okies survive on when it's cold enough to require the wearing of pants and a hoodie? Here's the quick list of things every Oklahoma home should be pumping out when the endless Summer finally ends.

Gallery Credit: Kelso

Top 10 safest towns & cities in Oklahoma

These 10 Oklahoma towns and cities have been ranked and named as the safest in the entire Sooner State. If you're looking for someplace to move, retire or visit and are worried about crime, these are the safest places. They have some of the lowest crime rates in the state, some have the lowest in the Nation according to FBI crime statistics.

Gallery Credit: Don "Critter" Brown

 

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