https://okcfox.com/news/local/oklahoma-8th-grader-teacher-die-of-covid-state-sup-joy-hofmeister-says

I'm stealing this just fyi

lol

School has started.

Just wait another week.

There was a 13 year old from OKC schools that died yesterday, although I don't know for sure if he contracted it from school or not. Sad either way.

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

Out with actual Covid? Or quarantining because of being a close contact?

OU & OSU are already reporting dozens of new cases.

I'm sure those numbers will only go up.

Out with actual Covid? Or quarantining because of being a close contact?

At this point does it really matter?

Out with actual Covid? Or quarantining because of being a close contact?

I think for some of them it's due to family members (siblings) being positive, but I do know that there are multiple that actually have tested positive themselves.

I think for some of them it's due to family members (siblings) being positive, but I do know that there are multiple that actually have tested positive themselves.

I saw some statistics from local TV anchor Wendy Suares from EPS that showed multiple elementary schools with 25% of the population quarantining, but only 1-2% actually had Covid. That's why i was curious.

EPS did recently expand their quarantine procedures in the wake of OSDH changes to their policies. Glad they're being proactive as much as possible given the inability to mandate masks.

OU & OSU are already reporting dozens of new cases.

I'm sure those numbers will only go up.

It is spreading like wildfire at OU. Give it a few weeks and we will see some new actions taking place. Guarantee it.

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

Are you actually surprised by this? It is totally predictable based on what has happened at various times throughout the Pandemic, and the lax / nonexistent protocols in place.

This Fall is going to be the modern equivalent of the third and most deadly wave of the Spanish Flu Pandemic.

One statistic I would like to see is the number of ventillators being used on a daily basis. Also would like to see it broken down by county or even MSA.

My spouse's school district is reporting 4-5X as many cases on Week 2 than at this time last year when there was distancing, masks, and no Delta variant. Not off to a great start...

My two kids ride the bus to school to and from day care. There have already been 3 "maybe your kid was exposed" scenarios. It's a total S show. We took the oldest to get tested at the pediatrician and he basically threw his hands up and said both kids are healthy and would be better off getting the antibodies.

One statistic I would like to see is the number of ventillators being used on a daily basis. Also would like to see it broken down by county or even MSA.

The state used to provide that data in detail but it hasn't been updated since May.

https://oklahoma.gov/covid19/newsroom/executive-order-reports.html

EPS did recently expand their quarantine procedures in the wake of OSDH changes to their policies. Glad they're being proactive as much as possible given the inability to mandate masks.

They can mandate masks. OKC and Tulsa have now done it. It can be done. Edmond just won’t do it.

One statistic I would like to see is the number of ventillators being used on a daily basis. Also would like to see it broken down by county or even MSA.

Why?

My spouse's school district is reporting 4-5X as many cases on Week 2 than at this time last year when there was distancing, masks, and no Delta variant. Not off to a great start...

Distancing, masks, and good contact tracing has been proven to work extremely well at containing community spread and keeping students in classes.

Add vaccine requirements on top of that, and schools become a non-factor and the pandemic ends.

And none of this is new knowledge. We've known this for 100+ years.

But someone made a viral meme and convinced a significant amount of Americans that not wearing a mask in public or that not taking a free and safe vaccine to combat a global pandemic was the next great freedom worth having Americans die for.

The currently unvaccinated in America are the biggest freeloaders we've ever had.

Deer Creek has no quarantine requirement. If your kid is exposed, it's up to you to decide if they should stay at home or continue going to class.

Honestly, future generations are going to look back at this time and never be able to comprehend why this happened.

No matter how this history is written it will never make any sense whatsoever. It certainly makes no sense now.

It's ironic that we were taught as kids to cover our mouth when we coughed or sneezed so we don't spread germs.

Honestly, future generations are going to look back at this time and never be able to comprehend why this happened.

No matter how this history is written it will never make any sense whatsoever. It certainly makes no sense now.

100% this. This is weird as $**t. There is no rational explanation, although I will try.

1. There was a counter political narrative that was almost entirely from one viewpoint that dictated that Covid-19 was all "overblown," or even, a "hoax."

2. Then it morphed into strange arguments about libertarian "freedom" with the mask requirements. Grown men trying to force their way into public buildings, shooting their spit around a lot.

3. Then, for a brief moment, there was a sense of euphoria that this was "behind us," coupled with a total misinterpretation of the CDC "you can ditch your mask" guidance. The people who jumped on this the most seemingly were the unvaccinated, who were just ready for any public argument to ditch the masks.

4. Now we're in this f-ck-all version of events, in which there is no coherent public strategy at all (besides vaccination). Where communities in red states are 180 degrees away from where they were a year ago, with no organized public health messaging or plan.

Where we are now is so much worse than a year ago. And, ironically, it is negatively affecting the people who are most passionately AGAINST rational public health mandates. Yet, it still is taxing the resources we all rely on, else this would become a case of divine schadenfreude. My sense of sorrow for those afflicted by this is going down rapidly, as more and more anti-Covid vaxxers crowd our hospitals in desperation, even as they flout the most basic public health recommendations.

Unfortunately, we cannot just enjoy this comeuppance, because it is incredibly taxing and devastating to the folks who serve as our last medical resort.

Why where we are now is so much worse than a year ago is because government and private sources are not doing much of anything to counter attack the insane falsehoods that have been going out against getting vaccinated. The crap I come across just keeps going over the top worse.

Fiancé is working at the hospital in Idabel this week.... She said on top of everyone in that hospital with covid right now not being vaccinated. The majority told her they had been taking Ivermectin. Several asked to be vaccinated and were told it's too late for that now.

She also said most need to be moved to a better equipped facility but there is nowhere for them to go and most probably won't make it out of that hospital alive and those that do will likely suffer long term effects..... One family even asked the hospital not to transfer their family member so they wouldn't have to transport the body back.

Also on top of that crap show there was a motorcycle accident down there yesterday. We got sidetracked on other stuff before she told me how that went but I can't imagine it went as well as it could have with the hospital being at full capacity.

She also told me they told her on average they see 8-12 patients a day and yesterday she saw 28...... You do not want to make a trip to a hospital right now for anything.

Why where we are now is so much worse than a year ago is because government and private sources are not doing much of anything to counter attack the insane falsehoods that have been going out against getting vaccinated. The crap I come across just keeps going over the top worse.

And last year with far fewer cases we had mask mandates, schools and most employers mandating people stay home, limits on bar and restaurant capacities and a bunch of other emergency measures.

Now, it's like this isn't even happening. And football season starts this week.

….Also on top of that crap show there was a motorcycle accident down there yesterday. We got sidetracked on other stuff before she told me how that went but I can't imagine it went as well as it could have with the hospital being at full capacity.

She also told me they told her on average they see 8-12 patients a day and yesterday she saw 28...... You do not want to make a trip to a hospital right now for anything.
Specifically why I haven’t ridden my motorcycle in way too long. I’m used to being a daily rider, and typically I don’t concern myself too much about the potential for a motorcycle-related hospital visit. But it DOES happen, and has even happened to me. At this point it’s best to ride this stupidity-fueled surge out and try to limit all risk.

Get the damned shot for ****’s sake.

I feel very fortunate to work for an employer to not only has allowed continued WFH but has in fact kept the office closed. There is zero pressure to come in. Initially the plan was to re-open the office next month, but as soon as things started to backslide they said "nope" and extended WFH indefinitely.

I really don't know what I'd have done if I worked for someone else.

100% this. This is weird as $**t. There is no rational explanation, although I will try.

1. There was a counter political narrative that was almost entirely from one viewpoint that dictated that Covid-19 was all "overblown," or even, a "hoax."

2. Then it morphed into strange arguments about libertarian "freedom" with the mask requirements. Grown men trying to force their way into public buildings, shooting their spit around a lot.

3. Then, for a brief moment, there was a sense of euphoria that this was "behind us," coupled with a total misinterpretation of the CDC "you can ditch your mask" guidance. The people who jumped on this the most seemingly were the unvaccinated, who were just ready for any public argument to ditch the masks.

4. Now we're in this f-ck-all version of events, in which there is no coherent public strategy at all (besides vaccination). Where communities in red states are 180 degrees away from where they were a year ago, with no organized public health messaging or plan.

Where we are now is so much worse than a year ago. And, ironically, it is negatively affecting the people who are most passionately AGAINST rational public health mandates. Yet, it still is taxing the resources we all rely on, else this would become a case of divine schadenfreude. My sense of sorrow for those afflicted by this is going down rapidly, as more and more anti-Covid vaxxers crowd our hospitals in desperation, even as they flout the most basic public health recommendations.

Unfortunately, we cannot just enjoy this comeuppance, because it is incredibly taxing and devastating to the folks who serve as our last medical resort.

The handling of COVID is a comedy and tragedy, but there’s a lot of holes in this post. First, if you’ve studied the 1918 influenza pandemic, you’d know that many of today’s problems like anti-masking are not new. Second, the CDC didn’t say “ditch your mask,” they said you don’t need it in the first place. It was a major blunder intended to preserve mask supplies for medical professionals, but it was negligent PR. Even today, the CDC is still underselling that COVID spreads by aerosols—not droplets and fomites as originally believed. It’s another failure. I support the CDC, but they really need to partner with social scientists to understand messaging and social actions. Third, there’s a ton of evidence that vaccine hesitancy is complex, but people always present it as simple. There have been some good articles written on this lately.

Of course, I agree that history will look unkindly to governors like Stitt and others who didn’t do more. It’s embarrassing and tragic. But, things in the past and present, are more complex than you’re narrative. For example, to say there has been no public strategy is absurd. Some states have multilayered plans that have had some success. Fighting a pandemic isn’t simple or easy. Even highly vaxxed countries are having problems right now.

I believe he's referring to the "ditch the mask" guidance that came out this summer, for those that were fully vaccinated.

Almost like the virus mutates and we had to make changes as we receive new data. Clearly nefarious and not just basic common sense.

I believe he's referring to the "ditch the mask" guidance that came out this summer, for those that were fully vaccinated.

Ah, fair enough. Thanks for clarifying. And, I think the CDC is trying to do what's right, but they're messaging could have been better. My larger point is that the pandemic is complex. There's some obvious blame (e.g., Trump administration, other politicians who politicized the pandemic, conspiracy theorists, anti-maskers, social media companies), some more nuanced blame (e.g., initial "no masks" declaration, CDC/WHO for poor messaging, still dragging feet on aerosols), and the reality that pandemics are really hard (e.g., some highly vaxxed countries are struggling now). I'm just saying the story is more complicated than the radicals.

3,338 new cases today. Last several Fridays: 2,851; 2,814; 2,303; 1,777; 1,194; 750.

7-day average now 2,577.

Hospitalizations are 1,602 (-5).

ICU is 423 (-2).

For the week...

18,036 new cases. Last several weeks: 15,542; 14,851; 13,348; 9,459; 6,569; 3,925.

117 additional reported deaths. Last several weeks: 106; 80; 40; 42; 23.

Hospitalizations were +115.

ICU was +25.

You know what. I just read a couple stories about people using Ivermectin and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issuing a warning that said:


“You are not a horse, you are not a cow. Seriously, y’all. Stop it.”

Good lord. I retract everything I said. We're going to have a hell of a time explaining some of this to future generations... or is the future just going to be a dystopia of misinformation?

(For real though, obviously only a very small group of moronic people who would take an anti-parasitic drug used for deworming livestock. I have to remind myself that most vaccine hesitant people do NOT fall into this group.)

(For real though, obviously only a very small group of moronic people who would take an anti-parasitic drug used for deworming livestock. I have to remind myself that most vaccine hesitant people do NOT fall into this group.)

But when you are making a stand for freedom you will take the drug you choose over the drug recommended by those you perceive to be trying to control your body and mind (microchips in the vaccine).

I've been totally caught off guard by the number of people I have known for years, and had always considered to be intelligent and compassionate people, that have come out anti-mask and anti-vax but have ran with hydroxychloroquine, and now ivermectin, despite any scientific data proving either of them to be effective.

The handling of COVID is a comedy and tragedy, but there’s a lot of holes in this post. First, if you’ve studied the 1918 influenza pandemic, you’d know that many of today’s problems like anti-masking are not new. Second, the CDC didn’t say “ditch your mask,” they said you don’t need it in the first place. It was a major blunder intended to preserve mask supplies for medical professionals, but it was negligent PR. Even today, the CDC is still underselling that COVID spreads by aerosols—not droplets and fomites as originally believed. It’s another failure. I support the CDC, but they really need to partner with social scientists to understand messaging and social actions. Third, there’s a ton of evidence that vaccine hesitancy is complex, but people always present it as simple. There have been some good articles written on this lately.

Of course, I agree that history will look unkindly to governors like Stitt and others who didn’t do more. It’s embarrassing and tragic. But, things in the past and present, are more complex than you’re narrative. For example, to say there has been no public strategy is absurd. Some states have multilayered plans that have had some success. Fighting a pandemic isn’t simple or easy. Even highly vaxxed countries are having problems right now.

You seem to be missing my point about the Spanish Flu. What I said is that I believe we are about to go through the deadly wave comparable to the Spanish Flu's last wave.

Secondly, my comment about CDC was that the CDC said people could remove masks if vaccinated, even in crowded spaces. So, the anti-mask crowd took the opportunity to ditch their masks. The CDC guidance had to be reversed within a month or two and probably should never have been given when you consider the way half of this nation is behaving.

I've been totally caught off guard by the number of people I have known for years, and had always considered to be intelligent and compassionate people, that have come out anti-mask and anti-vax but have ran with hydroxychloroquine, and now ivermectin, despite any scientific data proving either of them to be effective.

Over the years I've watched smart folks I know become sovereign citizens, anti-vax, follow Q-Anon, etc. It's always a bit heartbreaking to watch people who used to know how to think critically get wrapped up in these delusions.

Speaking of standing up for freedom, this 30-year-old guy, who led an "End Covid Tyranny" campaign in his town of San Angelo, is nearing death from a virus he claimed didn't exist, and who fought to prevent people from protecting themselves and others.

From the article:


When he first felt symptoms on July 26, his wife told the Standard-Times, he refused to get tested or seek medical care. He instead began treating himself with a cocktail of Vitamin C, zinc, aspirin and ivermectin, an anti-parasitic drug that has been falsely promoted as an effective treatment for COVID-19 by conservative media. He was taken to the hospital on July 30.

https://news.yahoo.com/texas-anti-mask-freedom-rally-045722778.html

Over the years I've watched smart folks I know become sovereign citizens, anti-vax, follow Q-Anon, etc. It's always a bit heartbreaking to watch people who used to know how to think critically get wrapped up in these delusions.

I truly believe this is the fault of social media. These algorithms will beat people to death with bad info and keep them clicking more and more. I have to tell my father in law all the time, stop watching these youtube videos this is all fake stuff man. But the thumbnail and description suck them in. Not saying this doesn't happen with younger folks but when my dad got completely off social media, he was a different person. Less angry and less talking about wild conspiracies.

I truly believe this is the fault of social media. These algorithms will beat people to death with bad info and keep them clicking more and more. I have to tell my father in law all the time, stop watching these youtube videos this is all fake stuff man. But the thumbnail and description suck them in. Not saying this doesn't happen with younger folks but when my dad got completely off social media, he was a different person. Less angry and less talking about wild conspiracies.

Come on, man. Fox News wants some credit too.

OU & OSU are already reporting dozens of new cases.

I'm sure those numbers will only go up.

On Friday morning, 8/27, Stillwater Hospital is full with 6 patients in the ER waiting for beds to become available. It was worse earlier this week with 9. 91.3 % of COVID patients there are unvaccinated.

91.3 % of COVID patients are unvaccinated.

How many of them are parasite free after self dosing Ivermectin? I know that stuff has to be easy to find around Stillwater.

How many of them are parasite free after self dosing Ivermectin? I know that stuff has to be easy to find around Stillwater.

I don't know. I wonder if hospitals ask new covid patients what drugs they were taking, if any, before that are admitted. I would guess they do.

I don't know. I wonder if hospitals ask new covid patients what drugs they were taking, if any, before that are admitted. I would guess they do.

Yep. You would be correct with that guess.

Why?

It gives me a better understanding of the severity of the hospitalizations.
Tonight on the news 4 metro hospitals including Baptist and Mercy have no ICI beds.

Is Deaconess Hospital being utiilized? And if so, to what extent?

Since Baptist Integris bought Deaconess, I see a few vehicles, certainly not many, there.

Sounds like OKC metro area is out of ECMO circuits.

I knew about the 13 year old OKCPS student passing, but had not heard an OKCPS teacher had also passed away.

I suspect we are heading toward school closures again. The "Covid positive person(s)" e-mails are pretty much a daily thing now.

We drove by Crest in Edmond and I counted 11 cars in line for Covid testing. My wife pointed out that I only counted the cars between the far West entrance and the Covid 19 trailer. She said there were also cars waiting between the East and West entrances that I didn't see.

Is Deaconess Hospital being utiilized? And if so, to what extent?

Since Baptist Integris bought Deaconess, I see a few vehicles, certainly not many, there.

No, and I would not expect them to use it.

Even if they wanted to open it up they probably couldn’t staff it.

I think there are still many people who don’t realize how bad the nursing shortage was in February 2020, and how much worse it has gotten since then. Nurses are quitting at an unprecedented rate and students are leaving nursing left and right. I know three people who fought hard to get into nursing school over the past few years who have now changed to a different major, with one changing to a non-healthcare major. And I know 5 nurses who have left the field over the past year, not counting myself.

Is Deaconess Hospital being utiilized? And if so, to what extent?

Since Baptist Integris bought Deaconess, I see a few vehicles, certainly not many, there.

They don't have the staff to run another ICU in another hospital. Some nurses are walking off the job, exhausted. They are having to handle much more than what they did in the past. The human resources are seriously strained.

They don't have the staff to run another ICU in another hospital. Some nurses are walking off the job, exhausted. They are having to handle much more than what they did in the past. The human resources are seriously strained.

Either walking off or taking travel nursing jobs which pay 4-5x their usual salary. I don't blame nurses one bit for getting out. It's just become unbearable for them. The ones that aren't anti-vaxx anyway.

Well this is depressing:


CNN reporter just quoted a doctor as referring to many COVID patients as “the talking dead”: they have lost so much lung function that they will die as soon as their life support is removed, but they are awake and able to discuss with their doctors.


I do not believe you want to be in the position that you have to make the choice on when to pull your own plug.

https://twitter.com/drskyskull/status/1431708240396554242?s=21

Are iron lungs going to come back?

Very depressing.
I watched my dad spend the last 32 years of his life as a functioning brain inside a non-functioning body. It was hell for him. And not so hot for any of us. So for me having the plug pulled by my choice would come sooner rather than later.

Here's the story of a veteran in Texas yesterday who died for a treatable procedure because no hospitals had an available ICU bed. https://twitter.com/DavidBegnaud/status/1431264120989523971?s=20

^^^ that is infuriating. Almost makes me wish they’d just kick someone out who was eligible to get the vaccine but refused to make room for him.

In some better news: https://twitter.com/davidfholt/status/1431661822441148417?s=21

Are iron lungs going to come back?

Not really a helpful option here. Iron lungs fix a mechanical issue (muscle paralysis or weakness) and create the pressure differential needed for the lungs to expand and contract inside the chest which then results in air moving in and out of the lungs. The iron lung decreases pressure inside the machine, which causes the chest wall to expand. When the chest wall expands it decreases the pressure inside the chest itself, which causes the lungs to expand. When the lungs expand, it creates low pressure inside the lungs, which causes air to move into the lungs where O2 and CO2 is exchanged with the blood. It’s a fairly “basic” design, and clamshell type external respirators are still used at times to assist people.

Ventilators also work with pressure of course, but instead of manipulating the external pressure to move air in and out of the lungs it directly manipulated the pressure inside the lungs. Instead of air getting sucked into the lungs, it is pumped into the lungs. Ventilators give much more control over all the different aspects of respiration: volume of air being moved, pressure of the air entering the lungs, pressure remaining during exhalation to keep the lungs open or to push fluids out of the lungs. They can also control the exact mixture of air entering the lungs, the temperature, the humidity, etc. From the basic CPAP people have on their night stand to the complex machines at hospitals, there are a ton of options for ventilators out there. But in the end, the ventilators have the same limitations that the iron lungs have: they can get air in and out of the lungs, but the lungs themselves have to do the work of gas exchange to get oxygen in, and CO2 out.

The issue with people at these stages of COVID is that the lungs are so damaged, and the lung tissue itself is so damaged, that the gas exchange just doesn’t happen. You can pump all the pure oxygen you want into those lungs, but it will never cross through those tissues and get into the blood. And none of the CO2 is ever going to cross through those tissues and leave the body. Ventilators, iron lungs, they all just inflate and deflate two useless bags of tissue at that point.

That’s where ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, artificial lungs) comes in. Instead of trying to get air into your lungs to get oxygen into your blood, it bypasses your lungs and heart and takes the blood out of your body, runs it through the machine to take CO2 out and put O2 in, and then pump it back into and through your body. And then they just wait and hope that at some point your lungs will heal enough that they can put you back on a regular vent and maybe send you back home on oxygen for the rest of your life. Or they wait until a lung transplant becomes available. But while that machine is running, while it is your heart and lungs, you are alive and could sit there and talk with your family and play games, watch TV, etc, for as long as you’re connected to the machine and it keeps on working.

Instead of being brain dead, with a machine keeping you alive, you are basically “lung dead”, with a machine keeping you alive. It’s still quite some steps away, but it does get us a step closer to the ethical question of “if a body is so damaged that it can’t survive, but you could cut off the head and connect it to this machine, is it ethical to keep your head and brain alive that way”.

That became a wall of text didn’t it…