COVID-19 is a new disease, caused by a novel (or new) coronavirus that has not previously been seen in humans. Learn more about COVID-19, THD’s role in a pandemic and local situation updates.
The 2019 Novel Coronavirus, officially named COVID-19 by the World Health Organization and declared a global pandemic on March 11, is a new respiratory virus first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) is a disease caused by a virus named SARS-CoV-2 and was discovered in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. It is very contagious and has quickly spread around the world. Learn more about the Basics of COVID-19 and review the COVID-19 Timeline.
What is Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)?
The 2019 Novel Coronavirus, officially named COVID-19 by the World Health Organization and declared a global pandemic on March 11, 2020, as a new respiratory virus first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
How does the virus spread?
COVID-19 spreads when an infected person breathes out droplets and very small particles that contain the virus. These droplets and particles can be breathed in by other people or land on their eyes, noses, or mouth. In some circumstances, they may contaminate surfaces they touch.
What are the symptoms and complications that COVID-19 can cause?
Current symptoms reported for patients with COVID-19 have included mild to severe respiratory illness with fever, cough and difficulty breathing.
The Tulsa Health Department along with Oklahoma State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is closely monitoring this outbreak and implementing infection control and isolation protocols to prevent the spread of illness in Oklahoma.
Local public health experts in Oklahoma are communicating with and educating health care providers and other public health partners about the current situation. Tulsa Health Department epidemiologists perform contact tracing on confirmed cases in Tulsa County to determine potential exposures in the community. As of March 6, 2020, health officials reported the state’s first positive COVID-19 case in Tulsa County. You can view updated COVID-19 stats in Oklahoma here.
It is also flu season and health officials recommend receiving your annual flu shot, taking everyday preventive actions to stop the spread of germs and taking flu antivirals if prescribed. See our Flu Page for more information.
Contact tracing is a process used by public health officials to slow the rate of community spread of an infectious disease by interrupting the chain of transmission. It helps empower residents to act to protect not only themselves but their loved ones as well.
How it Works
After you are tested for COVID-19 the entity where you got tested should call you with your results. So if you got tested at your doctor’s office, you should hear back from your doctor’s office first. If you test positive for COVID-19, a public health professional from Tulsa Health Department will also contact you. Since the very first case back in March, our epidemiologists and contact tracers continue to investigate all positive cases of COVID-19 among Tulsa County residents. A public health representative will check-in on your health, discuss with whom you’ve been in close contact and ask you to stay at home to self-isolate. They also contact the people with whom you had close contact to provide notification of the exposure, ask if they have symptoms and offer guidance about testing and quarantine. Your name will not be given to those you identify as close contacts unless you give permission. It’s important to be forthcoming with the contact tracer as the information is vital to stopping the spread of disease.
Security and Safety
When you receive an initial call from the Tulsa Health Department, the extension number may vary, but will start with area code 918 then 595. If you receive a call on a landline phone, the caller ID displayed will be Tulsa Health Department. If you receive a call regarding contact tracing and you are unsure if it’s legitimate, please call the Tulsa Health Department COVID-19 Call Center at 918-582-9355. Contact tracers will never ask for your social security number, bank information or credit card number. Information gathered during the contact tracing process is not used for any other purpose.
By helping our contact tracers, you're helping slow the spread of COVID-19 and keep Tulsa County residents healthy.
Subscribe to our Public Health Emergency Preparedness Updates. View previously issued updates.
View local situation updates from City of Tulsa, Tulsa County and the State of Oklahoma.
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We have 10 locations across Tulsa County that offer a variety of services to help you and your family stay healthy.
