Thanks for the explanation. It will be interesting to see what becomes of this. I wonder if anyone alive knowing they are not going to make it would volunteer themselves for medical research. Not sure it’d ever be accepted by society as being ethical even if consent it given.

https://twitter.com/kassiemcclung/status/1430900099039711240?s=21

https://twitter.com/kassiemcclung/status/1430900099039711240?s=21

Powerful and shows a perspective of the COVID patient in the hospital you don’t always see.

As a side note, would folks mind explaining what you’re posting when you drop a link. I prefer not to click on links without any context.

Powerful and shows a perspective of the COVID patient in the hospital you don’t always see.

As a side note, would folks mind explaining what you’re posting when you drop a link. I prefer not to click on links without any context.
I usually do explain or try to I was just being lazy there and was running around all day. Sorry for the lack of description

I usually do explain or try to I was just being lazy there and was running around all day. Sorry for the lack of description

You’re good. It’s happened a lot lately. I just happened to comment on your post.

That became a wall of text didn’t it…

Quoting this so I don't have to quote the wall..... My fiance was telling me yesterday about all her experiences down in Idabel last week and one thing she told me they were doing to try and keep peoples oxygen up was using both the nose tubes and a mask (because they didn't have the equipment to intubate).... It pretty much sounded like they were just doing anything they could think of to try and keep these people alive.

She also said she was told that this is the first time in that hospitals history that every bed was full.

Quoting this so I don't have to quote the wall..... My fiance was telling me yesterday about all her experiences down in Idabel last week and one thing she told me they were doing to try and keep peoples oxygen up was using both the nose tubes and a mask (because they didn't have the equipment to intubate).... It pretty much sounded like they were just doing anything they could think of to try and keep these people alive.

She also said she was told that this is the first time in that hospitals history that every bed was full.

I had an unplanned visit to that hospital once, when I was on a cabin vacation to the Beavers Bend area with my wife. Unfortunately, I got a kidney stone that started moving the day we arrived.

After a rough night, we visited the hospital in Idabel and I remember at the time thinking how horrifying it would be if one were suffering a real medical emergency and that was the only hospital available to you.

Obviously I respect what your fiancé is doing there, and the hard work put in by the staff, but I was lucky the stone stopped moving and didn't require surgery. I was able to take a couple of painkillers and move on with my trip.

Has the hospital improved since then? We are talking May of 2005 when I was last in there.

Living in a city like OKC, with so many great doctors and hospitals, you forget how far away many people are from a top-quality hospital in the case of medical emergency.

It’s also a wider issue with how hospitals are setup in Oklahoma (as well as many other states). Most of the high-acuity, more technical medical care is situated in Tulsa and OKC. Rural hospitals are usually not setup to handle those cases and are focused on triage and stabilizing these cases, then transferring them to the metro hospitals. They are basically just feeder hospitals to filter out the specialized cases that need to go to specialty and higher level of care treatment here, and they hand on to the basic med/surg patients and lower acuity cases.

That system works 95% of the time, except when there is no place to transfer anyone to.

It’s also a wider issue with how hospitals are setup in Oklahoma (as well as many other states). Most of the high-acuity, more technical medical care is situated in Tulsa and OKC. Rural hospitals are usually not setup to handle those cases and are focused on triage and stabilizing these cases, then transferring them to the metro hospitals. They are basically just feeder hospitals to filter out the specialized cases that need to go to specialty and higher level of care treatment here, and they hand on to the basic med/surg patients and lower acuity cases.

That system works 95% of the time, except when there is no place to transfer anyone to.

This puts incredible pressure on our OKC hospitals. Heck, even if people in OKC were 85% vaccinated, our hospitals would still be absolutely inundated by people from rural areas.

Living in a city like OKC, with so many great doctors and hospitals, you forget how far away many people are from a top-quality hospital in the case of medical emergency.

Actually.... A lot of the medical personnel working in the rural hospitals are the same ones working in the hospitals here.... They work 7 on 7 off here and the 7 they are off they are working in the rural hospitals because they generally make more money at the rural hospitals..

The major difference is usually the facility.... Most rural hospitals are only able to do so much with what they have and then they are going to stabilize you and move you on to a better equipped facility..... Only right now there are no rooms left in the better equipped facilities.... here or out of state.

Actually.... A lot of the medical personnel working in the rural hospitals are the same ones working in the hospitals here.... They work 7 on 7 off here and the 7 they are off they are working in the rural hospitals because they generally make more money at the rural hospitals..

The major difference is usually the facility.... Most rural hospitals are only able to do so much with what they have and then they are going to stabilize you and move you on to a better equipped facility..... Only right now there are no rooms left in the better equipped facilities.... here or out of state.

Yes, I didn't mean to impugn the doctors or staff at all. The facilities are obviously the difference. And, when I mentioned doctors, i was talking about people who do things like heart transplants. You aren't going to find folks like that in rural hospitals.

I had an unplanned visit to that hospital once, when I was on a cabin vacation to the Beavers Bend area with my wife. Unfortunately, I got a kidney stone that started moving the day we arrived.

After a rough night, we visited the hospital in Idabel and I remember at the time thinking how horrifying it would be if one were suffering a real medical emergency and that was the only hospital available to you.

Obviously I respect what your fiancé is doing there, and the hard work put in by the staff, but I was lucky the stone stopped moving and didn't require surgery. I was able to take a couple of painkillers and move on with my trip.

Has the hospital improved since then? We are talking May of 2005 when I was last in there.

Living in a city like OKC, with so many great doctors and hospitals, you forget how far away many people are from a top-quality hospital in the case of medical emergency.

I can't speak for Idabel, but I have noticed in my travels between county seats and other small towns that the facilities themselves in many of them seem to have improved quite a bit over the last 10-15 years. Fortunately all of my experience has been limited to my view from the outside of those facilities and not the inside, but many appear to have had some money put into them.

I can't speak for Idabel, but I have noticed in my travels between county seats and other small towns that the facilities themselves in many of them seem to have improved quite a bit over the last 10-15 years. Fortunately all of my experience has been limited to my view from the outside of those facilities and not the inside, but many appear to have had some money put into them.

I've not had to use the hospital in Ardmore but since Mercy bought it there have been quite a few improvements of the campus. They even have a cancer treatment center there.

7,827 cases the last three days along with 88 deaths reported. 2806 seven day average. It hasn't been that high since Jan. 19th.

7,827 new cases for the 3 day period. Last several Mondays: 6,218; 6,967, 6,328; 5,597; 3,669; 2,216; 1,211.

7-day average still climbing at 2,806.

Hospitalizations are 1,572 (-30).

ICU is 422 (-1).

Sigh. So much for the plateau.

Sigh. So much for the plateau.

I guess that Rt calculation of a plateau was not valid

I'm thinking this uptick is mainly school related, so a new variable throws off the model.

If there is any sort of silver lining in this, it's that if this is indeed driven by schools, then maybe our hospitalization rate goes down as kids aren't hospitalized at nearly the same rate as adults with this. It's an awful silver lining though, as kids like my two boys are now at their most vulnerable and no vaccine for younger folks in sight.

^

Kids still carry it to adults and more and more children have been going into the hospital and even dying.

This is all so completely predictable.

On the City Council agenda for tomorrow is a vote on a mask mandate.

They would need 7 of 9 positive votes and it seems very unlikely they'll get that.

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2021/08/30/oklahoma-city-council-mask-mandate-vote-fight-covid-surge/5622055001/

Sigh. So much for the plateau.

What plateau? There hasn't been one. Probably just statistical reporting fallacies.

On the City Council agenda for tomorrow is a vote on a mask mandate.

They would need 7 of 9 positive votes and it seems very unlikely they'll get that.

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2021/08/30/oklahoma-city-council-mask-mandate-vote-fight-covid-surge/5622055001/

Extremely disappointed in the white flag being waved by at least half of the council members. The virus is spreading more than it was even during the big wave last winter.

Covid is not over. Why are they acting like it is?

What utter disappointments Stonecipher, Greenwell and Stone are for ignoring science due to their spineless fears of the psychotic anti-maskers (who do not represent the majority view in OKC). You notice I didn't even mention Young or Carter because they are right-wing extremists and not even worth the mention.

What plateau? There hasn't been one. Probably just statistical reporting fallacies.
I believe he was referring to a poster that said cases would start to go down about a week ago and that hasn’t been the case.

I can't speak for Idabel, but I have noticed in my travels between county seats and other small towns that the facilities themselves in many of them seem to have improved quite a bit over the last 10-15 years. Fortunately all of my experience has been limited to my view from the outside of those facilities and not the inside, but many appear to have had some money put into them.

For instance, Stillwater Regional Hospital recently built a 53 acre medical south campus. It's adding a 3 story addition to the actual hospital. But like so many hospitals, it full and could hold more but needs more nurses to serve more covid patients.

1,719 new cases today; last several Tuesdays: 1,794; 862; 1,136; 946; 733; 465.

7-day average down slightly to 2,796.

Compared to the same period last week, +1,534 new cases.

Hospitalizations are 1,539 (-33).

ICU is 434 (+12).

How is your sister doing Pete?

How is your sister doing pete?

She's still in ICU on the ventilator.

Trying to stay hopeful but she's very sick.

She's still in ICU on the ventilator.

Trying to stay hopeful but she's very sick.

I am sorry to here this news.

City council votes down the mask mandate 4 votes to 5; they needed 7 to pass.

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2021/08/31/okc-oklahoma-city-council-rejects-new-mask-mandate-covid/5655867001/

The City Council meeting turned into an embarrassing circus.

Carol and Robert Hefner (who are anti-vaccine and said they used ivermectin to treat their Covid) and a group they organized shouted down the discussion about the mask ordinance to the point where police officers had to get involved.

I simply can't believe the divide in this city/state/country.

The City Council meeting turned into an embarrassing circus.

Carol and Robert Hefner (who are anti-vaccine and said they used ivermectin to treat their Covid) and a group they organized shouted down the discussion about the mask ordinance to the point where police officers had to get involved.

I simply can't believe the divide in this city/state/country.

It was extremely embarrassing. Carol and Robert Hefner should be ashamed of themselves for being unabashed liars. She claimed that her husband has cancer, didn't take the vaccine, instead took Ivermectin, and now has a stronger immune system than anyone she's seen. She's lost her mind--and she perfectly encapsulates the majority of the people that were there.

There was another person who threatened the mayor and was clearly hoping the police officer tried to expel him so he could fight.

The City-County public health expert, who has over 30 years of experience in public health, got shouted down and heckled when he dared to speak the truth that the vaccine is highly effective.

On the YouTube live stream, there were dozens of commenters calling Mayor Holt, James Cooper, Nikki Nice, and Jo Beth Hammon traitors and saying they need to be removed.

It's not just that we are a divided people. We are. It's also that a substantial portion of our people live in a fantasy world, have rejected the basic principles of a polite society, and are therefore willing to become violent in order to protect their fantasy, which is contributing to the deterioration of our culture and civil society.

It was extremely embarrassing. Carol and Robert Hefner should be ashamed of themselves for being unabashed liars. She claimed that her husband has cancer, didn't take the vaccine, instead took Ivermectin, and now has a stronger immune system than anyone she's seen. She's lost her mind--and she perfectly encapsulates the majority of the people that were there.

There was another person who threatened the mayor and was clearly hoping the police officer tried to expel him so he could fight.

The City-County public health expert, who has over 30 years of experience in public health, got shouted down and heckled when he dared to speak the truth that the vaccine is highly effective.

On the YouTube live stream, there were dozens of commenters calling Mayor Holt, James Cooper, Nikki Nice, and Jo Beth Hammon traitors and saying they need to be removed.

It's not just that we are a divided people. We are. It's also that a substantial portion of our people live in a fantasy world, have rejected the basic principles of a polite society, and are therefore willing to become violent in order to protect their fantasy, which is contributing to the deterioration of our culture and civil society.Wow! Just wow! I almost hate to say my wife and I were pretty good friends of the Hefner family. Watched the kids grow up. But we haven't seen them in a number of years which right now I'm pretty happy about. I can't believe the Hefners I knew have become like this.

Every time I watch one of these I start looking at homes in other states. I'm getting tired.

Wow! Just wow! I almost hate to say my wife and I were pretty good friends of the Hefner family. Watched the kids grow up. But we haven't seen them in a number of years which right now I'm pretty happy about. I can't believe the Hefners I knew have become like this.

Just look at her Facebook page or read one of the many Lost Ogle articles about her.

City council votes down the mask mandate 4 votes to 5; they needed 7 to pass.

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2021/08/31/okc-oklahoma-city-council-rejects-new-mask-mandate-covid/5655867001/

keep in mind a 5-4 vote would have passed this also ... it just wouldn't have gone into effect right away ..

The 4 'yes' votes were Hamon, Cooper, Nice and Holt.

The other 5 all voted against it.

Every time I watch one of these I start looking at homes in other states. I'm getting tired.

I started to feel that way last summer when I was real active in the fight for a mask mandate in Edmond, after sitting through all the crazy council meetings... until I started seeing videos from other states and I realized that crazy and ignorant isn't limited to geography. The only thing that really made me feel better is that I noticed it was the same, very loud, very obnoxious dozen or so anti-science nuts at all the meetings.

keep in mind a 5-4 vote would have passed this also ... it just wouldn't have gone into effect right away ..

this is not the entire story ... if this had passed 5-4 or 6-3 it would have expired the same day it started ... so really it did need 7 votes ...

The 4 'yes' votes were Hamon, Cooper, Nice and Holt.

The other 5 all voted against it.

cooper moved to extend the date for the mask requirement to end NOV 1st instead of Oct 1 ( that was voted down 6-3 ) hamon nice cooper were the yes votes

Just look at her Facebook page or read one of the many Lost Ogle articles about her.

She became scary. Last time I saw them was probably 2010ish. If she was like this then I completely missed it. I wouldn't hang out with them now.

She became scary. Last time I saw them was probably 2010ish. If she was like this then I completely missed it. I wouldn't hang out with them now.

I noticed family members going off the deep end in about the last two Obama years as they started to get addicted to Facebook and YouTube conspiracies. I am sure it has only grown from there.

this is not the entire story ... if this had passed 5-4 or 6-3 it would have expired the same day it started ... so really it did need 7 votes ...

Cooper tried to amend it but that was voted down. Disgusted with these bullying morons. It is a clown circus.

NEVER MIND. I see your post above.

There are a whole bunch of idiots out there. I guess the delta variant will take care of some of them.

https://tulsaworld.com/news/state-and-regional/oklahomans-dying-of-covid-nearly-2-times-the-u-s-rate-as-unnecessary-suffering-overwhelms/article_7848230a-05f6-11ec-9235-7fd9e88b611c.html?fbclid=IwAR2wi2m4DScyZ8X_NQKXDM0 VYGSwWx-pc2rPRfxuz7aQW4Um1RWZzDjoxNs

After seeing these comments I went online to watch it. The audience reminded me of the bar scene in Star Wars.

The Hefners used to live in my neighborhood. Our neighborhood FB page was highly entertaining to say the least

The Hefners used to live in my neighborhood. Our neighborhood FB page was highly entertaining to say the least

At what point does "highly entertaining" become "dangerous" (assuming you're talking about posts by the Hefners)? I'd say that line has been crossed...

It was extremely embarrassing. Carol and Robert Hefner should be ashamed of themselves for being unabashed liars. She claimed that her husband has cancer, didn't take the vaccine, instead took Ivermectin, and now has a stronger immune system than anyone she's seen. She's lost her mind--and she perfectly encapsulates the majority of the people that were there.

He definitely did have Stage 4 Esophageal Cancer a few years ago though the last I'd heard, he's been in remission for a year or two (which hopefully is still the case). Knowing them, I'm sure the claim that they didn't take the vaccine is also true. The rest obviously is wildly speculative at best LOL. Didn't watch the meeting but it sounds like a three ring circus. Some general civility would go a long way though it seems that's been largely missing from society for awhile now.

Mayor Holt shared these two graphs at a presser today:

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/holtcovid083121a.jpg



HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/holtcovid083121b.jpg

Every time I watch one of these I start looking at homes in other states. I'm getting tired.

With much research, I think you'd be almost as disappointed in most states, countries, etc. You just live here and see it everyday.

Yep, and they still just don't get it.

With much research, I think you'd be almost as disappointed in most states, countries, etc. You just live here and see it everyday.

We are still in the bottom 10 in vaccination rate.

There are morons everywhere, but on this subject there is a higher percentage in Oklahoma than almost any state.

We are still in the bottom 10 in vaccination rate.

There are morons everywhere, but on this subject there is a higher percentage in Oklahoma than almost any state.

Hey! On the bright side, as of yesterday we're not bottom 10 anymore! So maybe it's getting better.

39th in 18+ fully vaccinated (54.7%) and 35th in 18+ with at least one shot (65.9%)

The latter stat seems to indicate a reasonable increase in vaccinations over the last few weeks.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/covid-19-vaccine-doses.html

^

Did you ever get vaccinated?

At what point does "highly entertaining" become "dangerous" (assuming you're talking about posts by the Hefners)? I'd say that line has been crossed...

At that time they were crazy but pretty harmless. They morphed into what they are now after they left our neighborhood thank goodness.

Can't remember if this has been posted, but this is a good thing.

https://oklahomawatch.org/2021/08/18/only-half-of-oklahomas-nursing-home-workers-are-vaccinated-now-biden-is-mandating-it/

"Nursing homes in Oklahoma and across the nation are in danger of losing staff or funding following pressure from the Biden administration spurred by a resurgence of COVID-19.

Nursing homes that refuse to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for their staff will lose Medicare and Medicaid funding. "

^

Did you ever get vaccinated?

Not yet. With all the studies that have been coming out surrounding the longevity and strength of natural immunity and reinfection rates still hoovering around 1% of cases (the vast majority of which are more mild than initial infection), I'm holding off for a bit longer. Especially encouraging is the study below that found natural immunity from a previous infection is 13 times more effective than vaccine induced immunity (from two doses of the mRNA ones) against the delta variant. Pretty much every article or study has of course suggested that both types of immunity wane with time (though there is still a lot of research and debate as to those time frames, 8-12 months has been cited a lot recently) and getting at least one dose of the vaccine will boost natural immunity.

I was officially over my covid case during the first week of December last year so unless new info at the time suggests otherwise, I'm leaning toward getting a single dose of whichever vaccine appears to be best handling the newer variants toward the end of the year after a few more months of them being tested against at least the delta and lambda variants on a large scale.


https://www.science.org/news/2021/08/having-sars-cov-2-once-confers-much-greater-immunity-vaccine-vaccination-remains-vital

Yeah, didn't think so.

Yeah, didn't think so.

If I hadn't previously been infected with the virus, I definitely would've by now...probably months go...but I've been pretty consistent in how I've said I planned to handle it.

If I hadn't previously been infected with the virus, I definitely would've by now...probably months go...but I've been pretty consistent in how I've said I planned to handle it.
Have you gone to a doctor and asked if you should take it?