What was the all time high for ICU? Just taking a step back and thinking about there being 410 people in the ICU with Covid is crazy. If you would have asked me pre-pandemic how many ICU beds we have in the entire state, I’m not sure I would have guessed over 200-300.

All those poor horses & cows who are gonna die from heartworms because they won't have medicine. :(
As a former horse owner, its not heartworms that dogs. Yes internal parasites do do alot of damage to horses and cows. With that said, and the fact that some people try to use it on their chickens, its a bit dangerous to give a wormer to a species that it is not intended for. Case in point, I had to try to worm my chickens with a drug but could not get it in less then a million dose size. yah for a doz chickens. Alt is the same drug for dogs, because of the change in formulation, it had to be given by a vet. This is just plain nuts with people who do not understand this. I ve had friends call me about getting it. NOPE. Save it for horses, cows etc. There are different formulations for different animals. Not safe to take it if its formulated for a different animal. dahhh. and you have to take it for what it is intended for. Its a wormer.

What was the all time high for ICU? Just taking a step back and thinking about there being 410 people in the ICU with Covid is crazy. If you would have asked me pre-pandemic how many ICU beds we have in the entire state, I’m not sure I would have guessed over 200-300.

All-time high was 501 on 12/31/20.

I’m starting to wonder if life is even real at this point and I died awhile ago and God is just messing with me:

https://kfor.com/news/local/do-not-take-medicine-for-animals-oklahoma-stores-sold-out-of-horse-deworming-drug-despite-fda-warning-about-consumption/

Now the reason Stitt moved the state health lab to Stillwater becomes clear. He'll probably order a couple million dollars woth of this stuff like he did for the T***p miracle drug.

now the reason stitt moved the state health lab to stillwater becomes clear. He'll probably order a couple million dollars woth of this stuff like he did for the t***p miracle drug.
lol

Now the reason Stitt moved the state health lab to Stillwater becomes clear. He'll probably order a couple million dollars woth of this stuff like he did for the T***p miracle drug.

my first immediate thought was, "Can all of the people calling me a sheep for taking a vaccine, please stop ingesting all of the livestock medicine?" lol

my first immediate thought was, "Can all of the people calling me a sheep for taking a vaccine, please stop ingesting all of the livestock medicine?" lol


Perhaps being more philosophical than intended, but is it possible to be a sheep in this sense when you're in the minority?

WTF is wrong with people who ignore the recommendations of 99% of the medical and scientific community on precisely how they can protect themselves and prevent dying from Covid who in turn take the advice of one quack on Facebook and ingest dangerous toxic treatments not approved for use in humans????????

My level of compassion for any of them at this point is gone. I do feel bad for the kids and families they will leave behind resulting from their stubbornness, stupidity and ignorance.

Everything is seen through the sense of politics and privilege.

Oklahoma's R number is negative. Cases will start to decrease. 17061

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-23/covid-optimists-see-u-s-nearing-delta-peak-but-risks-abound?srnd=premium&sref=VEjJXJjm

Oklahoma's R number is negative. Cases will start to decrease.

That's great. That's really great. Good to see.

Could have happened a lot sooner and with less death and suffering if some people gave a **** about other Oklahomans around them.

Initial vaccinations went up over 200% in Oklahoma over the past two weeks. In no doubt, largely motivated by fear. The threat of COVID came to their front porch, which is all they ever cared about. All they ever thought about.

One thing I have learned about Oklahoma and America in general is that I should know that if my house is burning and someone is trapped inside, I should not expect anyone to help unless 1) they're being paid to do so or 2) there's some sort of weird political dunking to be had by doing so.

No one in my neighborhood is going to form a bucket line to the river to save someone else's house, first and foremost because it's not their house. If their house isn't threatened by it, they will not only refuse to help because of the inconvenience, they will refuse to help because they feel they are protecting their right and their freedom not to help someone else save their home and livelihood.

Other citizens life and livelihood is not as important as their own.

That's what we've learned from all of this.

That's great. That's really great. Good to see.

Could have happened a lot sooner and with less death and suffering if some people gave a **** about other Oklahomans around them.

Initial vaccinations went up over 200% in Oklahoma over the past two weeks. In no doubt, largely motivated by fear. The threat of COVID came to their front porch, which is all they ever cared about. All they ever thought about.

One thing I have learned about Oklahoma and America in general is that I should know that if my house is burning and someone is trapped inside, I should not expect anyone to help unless 1) they're being paid to do so or 2) there's some sort of weird political dunking to be had by doing so.

No one in my neighborhood is going to form a bucket line to the river to save someone else's house, first and foremost because it's not their house. If their house isn't threatened by it, they will not only refuse to help because of the inconvenience, they will refuse to help because they feel they are protecting their right and their freedom not to help someone else save their home and livelihood.

Other citizens life and livelihood is not as important as their own.

That's what we've learned from all of this.

This isn’t necessarily a new lesson. Fire Departments have been around for a very long time.

Cases are still going up in Oklahoma.

And even if they go down a bit in the near future (which remains to be seen), they are still unsustainably high.

In the UK, after a big spike cases went down for a couple of weeks but now they are going back up. This is the same pattern worldwide.


Still an incredibly bad plan just to sit around and hope things get better, especially with schools back in and fall/winter coming soon.

Will J&J be approved? That is the vaccine I took.

I’d be shocked if they got full approval this year.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/delta-air-lines-impose-charge-unvaccinated-employees-covid_n_61265079e4b01d0862ec15f2

This isn’t necessarily a new lesson. Fire Departments have been around for a very long time.

Ha. Good point.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/delta-air-lines-impose-charge-unvaccinated-employees-covid_n_61265079e4b01d0862ec15f2

this is interesting to me ... (seems like they should just mandate the vaccine) because this road seems like a slippery slope ..... . ie.. overweight pay extra drink .... pay extra ...... don't exercise ... pay extra ....

this is interesting to me ... (seems like they should just mandate the vaccine) because this road seems like a slippery slope ..... . ie.. overweight pay extra drink .... pay extra ...... don't exercise ... pay extra ....

I agree, however, this is already in place in many insurance plans. My wife's insurance has some similar wellness requirements, and if you don't hit certain metrics/goals, you pay a MUCH higher monthly rate. These include certain health metrics, or alternative exercise requirements. And yeah, I have a problem with them, but it seems to be the new way.

this is interesting to me ... (seems like they should just mandate the vaccine) because this road seems like a slippery slope ..... . ie.. overweight pay extra drink .... pay extra ...... don't exercise ... pay extra ....

Companies have been doing this for years with employees who use tobacco. Not really a new concept.

I agree, however, this is already in place in many insurance plans. My wife's insurance has some similar wellness requirements, and if you don't hit certain metrics/goals, you pay a MUCH higher monthly rate. These include certain health metrics, or alternative exercise requirements. And yeah, I have a problem with them, but it seems to be the new way.

My employer's also been doing it for years, and I feel the same way. However, if the data shows that if you don't hit those metrics/goals, and you actually incur higher health care costs, it's pretty much justified. I have no idea if the data supports that, but I suspect it does, otherwise companies wouldn't be doing it.

Companies have been doing this for years with employees who use tobacco. Not really a new concept.

thank you i was not aware of this ... ..

worked in the Defense sector my entire life and all the companies i have worked for offer every employee the same prices for medical insurance regardless of life style ..

this is interesting to me ... (seems like they should just mandate the vaccine) because this road seems like a slippery slope

Next thing you know drivers who have wrecks, speeding tickets or DUIs will be paying higher premiums, amiright?

Next thing you know drivers who have wrecks, speeding tickets or DUIs will be paying higher premiums, amiright?

i deserve this ... i didn't realize this was a thing with company provided .. medical insurance ... my fault ...

2,534 new cases today. Last several Wednesdays: 2,360; 2,105; 2,160; 1,474; 1,203.

7-day average still rising at 2,271.

For the week starting Saturday, as compared to the same period last week we are +357 new cases.


Hospitalizations are 1,578 (+81).

ICU is 419 (+9).

These increasing numbers are not sustainable for our health care system. I hate to think what the numbers will be in the middle of next month as more kids/young adults return to class and activities.

i deserve this ... i didn't realize this was a thing with company provided .. medical insurance ... my fault ...

At UAL, at least under my CBA, there are a multitude of plan options. But the rates are the same per plan, per individual. (I.e. different plans have different prices, but if you pick the same plan as I do we pay the same rate as each other) However we receive a $48/mo wellness credit for a tobacco free lifestyle. As far as I know it is the honor system as there are no health checkups required to confirm this. Not sure how it is enforced.

At UAL, at least under my CBA, there are a multitude of plan options. But the rates are the same per plan, per individual. (I.e. different plans have different prices, but if you pick the same plan as I do we pay the same rate as each other) However we receive a $48/mo wellness credit for a tobacco free lifestyle. As far as I know it is the honor system as there are no health checkups required to confirm this. Not sure how it is enforced.

this is similar to all companies i have ever worked for ..

Next thing you know drivers who have wrecks, speeding tickets or DUIs will be paying higher premiums, amiright?
When I worked for the railroad, that applied to the Engineers, (and conductors), that off duty driving involving speeding, ticketed offenses, and DUI ‘s would trigger suspension and separation from your job. Invasive? Maybe, but if you couldn’t drive by the rules, then you couldn’t be trusted to run trains.

^^ I think there's a significant difference for consequences for violating the law as opposed to various health metrics (especially since many that are used are not metrics that are intended to measure individual health, like BMI) being used to artificially inflate individuals healthcare premiums.

^^ I think there's a significant difference for consequences for violating the law as opposed to various health metrics (especially since many that are used are not metrics that are intended to measure individual health, like BMI) being used to artificially inflate individuals healthcare premiums.

BMI is not intended to measure individual health? Here are some risks if you have a high BMI:

cardiovascular (heart and blood circulation) disease.
gallbladder disease.
high blood pressure (hypertension)
type 2 diabetes.
osteoarthritis.
certain types of cancer, such as colon and breast cancer.
depression and other mental health disorders.

BMI is not intended to measure individual health? Here are some risks if you have a high BMI:

cardiovascular (heart and blood circulation) disease.
gallbladder disease.
high blood pressure (hypertension)
type 2 diabetes.
osteoarthritis.
certain types of cancer, such as colon and breast cancer.
depression and other mental health disorders.

bmi doesn't do a good job with those on either end of the scale ..


BMI provides a reasonable estimate of body fat for most people. However, it has limitations. For example, BMI may:

Underestimate body fat for older adults or people with low muscle mass
Overestimate body fat for people who are very muscular and physically fit

BMI is not intended to measure individual health? Here are some risks if you have a high BMI:

cardiovascular (heart and blood circulation) disease.
gallbladder disease.
high blood pressure (hypertension)
type 2 diabetes.
osteoarthritis.
certain types of cancer, such as colon and breast cancer.
depression and other mental health disorders.

BMI is a good predictor for large groups of population, but it's largely worthless on an individual level. According to BMI I'm obese, but I'm 6'2", with less than 5% body fat, a 35 inch waste, and I run 30+ miles a week and I compete in 5ks and 10ks regularly. Dwayne Johnson's BMI score puts him over 30 as well, which also classifies him as obese. You absolutely CANNOT make a judgement on someone's health based on their BMI alone. It's especially inaccurate in athletes, the elderly, or many other situations (anyone shorter or taller than the "typical" range).

It can certainly be worthwhile to look at BMI for certain predictors (again, typically for groups) but we shouldn't be using it to grade an individual's health, or predict their future medical costs.

Here's what the CDC says about it -


BMI is a reasonable indicator of body fat for both adults and children. Because BMI
does not measure body fat directly, it should not be used as a diagnostic tool. Instead,
BMI should be used as a measure to track weight status in populations and as a
screening tool to identify potential weight problems in individuals.

https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/downloads/BMIforPactitioners.pdf

Basically, BMI might be useful for an initial screening, but it's meant to be followed up on for more analysis. Not as a score of health or a diagnostic tool in itself.

The last few years I rode hard I was obese by my BMI. But I could ride 100 miles in around 4 and a half hours. My wake-up heart rate was in the lower 30s BPM.

Does anyone know if this is true or can they confirm it?

Your decision not to take the vaccine will cost you money. Blue Cross Blue Shield and 3 other major health insurers have announced they will raise premiums for those unvaxed. You have until Sept 30....Clocks ticking! If your employer pays all or part of your health insurance, the increase could be enough they change how much they pay for or reduce coverage.

Hope so, Bobby. Hope so. What is the source of the information you cite?

Ok then how will this work for people who have health issues that prevent them from safely taking the vaccine?

Ok then how will this work for people who have health issues that prevent them from safely taking the vaccine?

A doctor would write a note for your insurance company.

Not likely that will happen with insurance company premiums. It would require changing the ACA. (We’ll all absorb the costs of people who don’t get vaccinated.) It’s possible employers will offer incentives to get employees vaccinated.

https://foxbaltimore.com/news/nation-world/could-health-insurers-charge-unvaccinated-higher-premiums-experts-say-its-complicated

(We’ll all absorb the costs of people who don’t get vaccinated.)

Who is absorbing the billions being spent on Covid now?

Who is absorbing the billions being spent on Covid now?

Taxpayers, consumers, and insurance companies until their costs get passed along down the line.

Taxpayers, consumers, and insurance companies until their costs get passed along down the line.

Exactly. It's time to make the unvaccinated absorb at least some of those costs. That will motivate some of them to get vaccinated.

Delta airlines is actually charging unvaccinated employees $200/month more for insurance until they get vaccinated. Hope other employers do the same.

https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-06f736ac985d59c38c2ae8201f717d91

Delta airlines is actually charging unvaccinated employees $200/month more for insurance until they get vaccinated. Hope other employers do the same.

https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-06f736ac985d59c38c2ae8201f717d91

Yeah totally agree. But why stop there, There's a lot of other negative behavior people do to themselves all the time that are a burden to society and our healthcare. Obesity, smokers, drinkers, employers should be charging them extra as well.

Yeah totally agree. But why stop there, There's a lot of other negative behavior people do to themselves all the time that are a burden to society and our healthcare. Obesity, smokers, drinkers, employers should be charging them extra as well.
As said above, it already happens for smoking.

COVID-19: High hospitalization rate puts Oklahoma fourth in the U.S. (https://tulsaworld.com/news/state-and-regional/covid-19-high-hospitalization-rate-puts-oklahoma-fourth-in-the-u-s/article_9af1b3fe-05af-11ec-805c-43210ba321a7.html#tracking-source=home-trending)


The state remained in the federal government’s red ranking, which indicates the worst severity, in at least three categories over the previous seven days: test positivity, documented cases per capita and virus hospitalizations per capita.

Oklahoma has the highest test positivity rate in the nation at 23.1%, according to the latest data available. It is fourth in the U.S. with 21.9 confirmed COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100 inpatient beds and is ranked 13th for new cases per capita, with about 397 cases per 100,000 residents.

In a recent three-day average, 1,578 COVID patients were hospitalized in the state, with 419 of them in intensive care, according to state Health Department data. Sixty-six of those hospitalized are children — a figure that has been steadily increasing since the state began releasing the data in July.

As said above, it already happens for smoking.

Hmm.

Yeah totally agree. But why stop there, There's a lot of other negative behavior people do to themselves all the time that are a burden to society and our healthcare. Obesity, smokers, drinkers, employers should be charging them extra as well.

https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=45625&p=1178702#post1178702

https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=45625&p=1178703#post1178703

https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=45625&p=1178705#post1178705

https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=45625&p=1178702#post1178702

https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=45625&p=1178703#post1178703

https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=45625&p=1178705#post1178705

Cool.

Vaccinations in Oklahoma have been increasing.

For the week ending Wednesday, 34,540 more Oklahomans became fully vaccinated.

Last several weeks: 28,491; 21,439; 17,698; 16,241, 16,234; 15,871, 18,276.

Currently, about 42.5% of the population is fully vaxxed; about 56% of those 18+.

While I like the poetic justice of the irresponsible paying a higher share, this is everything I hate about our healthcare system. Insurance companies robbing people blind and providing the worst possible care they can get away with.

Obamacare was great in ending pre-existing condition discrimination. We should not be so eager to bring it back in any form, such as the insurance companies former practices of raising rates based on your health.

When I advocate for universal healthcare, it takes the good with the bad. Irresponsible people still deserve coverage. I am tired of the dog-eat-dog mentality. Celebrating the insurance companies on this one, but hanging them by their toenails for their other equally ridiculous actions is strange. It’s like cussing out the cop for pulling you over, but cheering on the cop for pulling someone else over the next day. Can’t have your cake and eat it too,

4,152 (!) new cases today. Last several Thursdays: 2,502; 2,468; 2,342; 1,806; 1,581; 705.

7-day average up to 2,507.

Hospitalizations are 1,607 (+29).

ICU is 425 (+6).

hooooooooly cow that's a huge jump, what the heck

Of course people who refuse vaccine are going to pay more, instead of giving people who are vaccinated a discount. Only take, never give.

Germany is taking the approach that you need to be either vaccinated, recovered, or tested in order to participate in many activities when spread is high (eating in restaurants, entering shops, going to concerts, etc). So far all testing has been free, similar to here. But they have done the math that by September, everyone who wanted to be vaccinated had an opportunity to be vaccinated, and after that point testing costs will no longer be covered. Their stance is why should everybody have to pay for you to get tested, when they are already paying for your vaccine (people who can’t get vaccinated for medical reasons are excluded). So if you don’t want the vaccine, you have the freedom to continue testing a few times a week in order to participate in society, at your own expense of course.

UGH!!!! c'mon people! Vax it or casket!

I made the mistake of looking at the comments section of a local news post in regards to today's numbers. The amount of people who are still claiming that everyone is just making up numbers and no one is really dying from this thing just blows my mind. There is no convincing these people.

I made the mistake of looking at the comments section of a local news post in regards to today's numbers. The amount of people who are still claiming that everyone is just making up numbers and no one is really dying from this thing just blows my mind. There is no convincing these people.
I had a conversation today with an employee. He still hasn't personally known anyone that's been sick. So he doesn't believe it can be as bad as it really is.

Odd thing is he knows 2 people that are still in Kabul and trying to get out so that's real to him.

UGH!!!! c'mon people! Vax it or casket!

I'm stealing this just fyi

hooooooooly cow that's a huge jump, what the heck

School has started.

Just wait another week.

School has started.

Just wait another week.

My mother's school just started, and she already has half of her class out with Covid as of last night.