Covid-19 in OKC (coronavirus)

[David]

Don't believe or spend any time on the "an OKC clinic has sent in unused tests and they came back positive" anecdote, that is a Coronavirus denialist talking point that is straight up lies. Same story is being passed around about unnamed clinics all over the country with just the location changed. It is, quite literally, fake news.

[Bill Robertson]

Actually, it would probably make more sense to treat symptomatic people as assumed positive, have them quarantine, and use testing to find asymptomatic contagious people, because that's the only way they can be identified for isolation.

I try not to erase most of a post but this is the part of a long post that I have something to say about. How would we know who to test of asymptomatic people because they’re asymptomatic. I had no idea I had it until weeks afterward when I had my first positive antibody result. Then I put 2 and 2 together and figured out the timetable. And for contract tracing. I’m sure I contracted it from a guy at Twin Peaks the night of the postponed Thunder-Jazz game . Absolutely no possible way to contract trace everyone that was there that night. The only way I see to control this thing is for everyone to stay home as much as possible without killing businesses. No family fun fairs, no live music at bars, have Churches, and we hadn’t missed a Sunday in years before March, go back to online only, curbside restaurant service only or REQUIRE restaurants to enforce distancing. etc. and make REAL fines for not adhering to the rules. And when you do go out to shop or whatever WEAR A FREAKIN MASK!!!!!!

[kukblue1]

I try not to erase most of a post but this is the part of a long post that I have something to say about. How would we know who to test of asymptomatic people because they’re asymptomatic. I had no idea I had it until weeks afterward when I had my first positive antibody result. Then I put 2 and 2 together and figured out the timetable. And for contract tracing. I’m sure I contracted it from a guy at Twin Peaks the night of the postponed Thunder-Jazz game . Absolutely no possible way to contract trace everyone that was there that night. The only way I see to control this thing is for everyone to stay home as much as possible without killing businesses. No family fun fairs, no live music at bars, have Churches, and we hadn’t missed a Sunday in years before March, go back to online only, curbside restaurant service only or REQUIRE restaurants to enforce distancing. etc. and make REAL fines for not adhering to the rules. And when you do go out to shop or whatever WEAR A FREAKIN MASK!!!!!!

Basically a roll back which we really truly need but that is NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN. Only way that happens is in the fall when people are lined up at the hospitals because they don't know if they have the flu or covid. That's going to happen if we don't either get it under control or have a vaccine

[BDP]

I try not to erase most of a post but this is the part of a long post that I have something to say about. How would we know who to test of asymptomatic people because theyÂ’re asymptomatic.

Oh, you're totally right. That's the bitch of this thing. You can't identify the asymptomatic spreaders among us without testing them, but how do you know to test them?? That is actually THE problem. I don't have a solution for that. I'm not that smart.

But limiting testing to only symptomatic people doesn't really accomplish anything, either, if containment is the goal. The ideal is to be able to test everyone cheaply and quickly. We don't have any way of doing that, that i know of, and I didn't mean to imply that we do, but for testing to be a containment effort, and that should be it's primary goal, that's really what it would take. If anything, I was echoing the support for rapid testing despite its false negative problem, because it might bring to light more asymptomatic positives, which is key, imo.

I had no idea I had it until weeks afterward when I had my first positive antibody result. Then I put 2 and 2 together and figured out the timetable. And for contract tracing. IÂ’m sure I contracted it from a guy at Twin Peaks the night of the postponed Thunder-Jazz game . Absolutely no possible way to contract trace everyone that was there that night. The only way I see to control this thing is for everyone to stay home as much as possible without killing businesses. No family fun fairs, no live music at bars, have Churches, and we hadnÂ’t missed a Sunday in years before March, go back to online only, curbside restaurant service only or REQUIRE restaurants to enforce distancing. etc. and make REAL fines for not adhering to the rules. And when you do go out to shop or whatever WEAR A FREAKIN MASK!!!!!!

Yeah, there's no way you could have known. Even with good tracing, there's no way to really know. That's kind of the crux of this thing. There's no way to identify who should take a test, except for symptoms, and at that point, does it really matter?

If you're sick, stay freaking home.

If you're not sick, you may still have it, so, like you said, 'WEAR A FREAKIN MASK'.

And, I'm with you on what not to do. Live music at bars IS my church, but I'm not attending until I know that testing is readily available for everyone or there's an effective vaccine that's been widely available and distributed. I can wait if that means it helps my fellow Oklahomans stay alive and well, and I can wear a mask until then for the same reason. As, you've pointed out, It's really not that hard.

And thank you for your personal efforts to aide with the crisis. You have saved lives.

[PoliSciGuy]

Good context from good follow Kassie McClung

Important: Of the 1,401 new cases reported today, 77% of those specimens were collected between July 15-July 26. So some of those results are almost two weeks old, according to the state's daily report.

That is a *lot* of old data

[Pete]

No matter what, this entire situation demonstrates how incredibly ill-equipped our government is to handle a pandemic.

Especially, since we've now had a good 6 months to prepare and we still can't process tests and data quickly and accurately.

It's nothing less than shocking.

[pw405]

Good context from good follow Kassie McClung

That is a *lot* of old data

So I am confused... how does this differ from the backlog that was reported last weekend?

Does this mean today's "record" was in fact not a record?

The TLR, regardless of which way you look at it: Covid 19 spread is out of control. Cases are growing, testing is no longer sufficient, contact tracing is pretty much useless due to delays and ~10% positive rate of tests. Any action by the state seems extremely unlikely.

The only remotely re-assuring data we have is that hospitalization rates have held steady for the last week. This is rather curious, but further points to the problem with the state's case reporting IMHO. If cases are a leading indicator for hospitalizations, but hospitalizations have slowed, then we should expect new cases to slow. We haven't yet seen this, which could simply mean that the testing is SO slow, that you can end up hospitalized before you know you are positive?

[Bill Robertson]

No matter what, this entire situation demonstrates how incredibly ill-equipped our government is to handle a pandemic.

Especially, since we've now had a good 6 months to prepare and we still can't process tests and data quickly and accurately.

It's nothing less than shocking.

I don’t want to defend the government but:. No official, govt or private has ever seen anything anywhere like this before because there hasn’t been anything like it. I agree with you completely that as it’s gone along they should have learned faster and adapted. But I think the American way of “business, profits and growth” are just too hard for our leaders to put aside for the good of mankind. Change from the status quo is proving to be nearly impossible.

[Bill Robertson]

So I am confused... how does this differ from the backlog that was reported last weekend?

Does this mean today's "record" was in fact not a record?

The TLR, regardless of which way you look at it: Covid 19 spread is out of control. Cases are growing, testing is no longer sufficient, contact tracing is pretty much useless due to delays and ~10% positive rate of tests. Any action by the state seems extremely unlikely.

The only remotely re-assuring data we have is that hospitalization rates have held steady for the last week. This is rather curious, but further points to the problem with the state's case reporting IMHO. If cases are a leading indicator for hospitalizations, but hospitalizations have slowed, then we should expect new cases to slow. We haven't yet seen this, which could simply mean that the testing is SO slow, that you can end up hospitalized before you know you are positive?

I would suggest that hospitalizations not increasing with cases increasing is because rapid test results are just now being reported. The new positive cases have been much higher for weeks but weren’t reported. And also, unrelated to this ratio, the real number of positive cases is multiple times of what gets tested. Truly scary.

[kukblue1]

I don’t want to defend the government but:. No official, govt or private has ever seen anything anywhere like this before because there hasn’t been anything like it. I agree with you completely that as it’s gone along they should have learned faster and adapted. But I think the American way of “business, profits and growth” are just too hard for our leaders to put aside for the good of mankind. Change from the status quo is proving to be nearly impossible.

In 6 months you think there would be a spit test or something that could get accurate results quickly.

[d-usa]

In 6 months you think there would be a spit test or something that could get accurate results quickly.

Technology can not change the fact that the largest concentration of virus is located in the nasopharynx. So the most accurate tool will remain a NP swap.

A large portion of false positives also come down to technique, and not technology. If you have had more than one test you have likely experienced the difference between some people when it comes to collecting samples.

[Bill Robertson]

In 6 months you think there would be a spit test or something that could get accurate results quickly.

Maybe this virus is going to prove to be something that shows us that our superior knowledge and technology isn’t so superior after all.

[Midtowner]

No matter what, this entire situation demonstrates how incredibly ill-equipped our government is to handle a pandemic.

Especially, since we've now had a good 6 months to prepare and we still can't process tests and data quickly and accurately.

It's nothing less than shocking.

This is what happens when state agencies are treated like jobs programs for the buddies of elected officials instead of professional entities with life and death importance during emergencies.

[jerrywall]

Chapman in Edmond just announced his support for a mandate. That's the swing vote needed so I expect the ordinance to pass tonight. If it passes, it basically mirrors OKC's ordinance, without the stepped fines.

[jerrywall]

Never mind. The mayor wouldn't vote for it with an emergency declaration so it doesn't go into effect for a month. That's helpful.

[soonerguru]

Don't believe or spend any time on the "an OKC clinic has sent in unused tests and they came back positive" anecdote, that is a Coronavirus denialist talking point that is straight up lies. Same story is being passed around about unnamed clinics all over the country with just the location changed. It is, quite literally, fake news.

Sure seemed like BS to me, and C_M is the only person I've conversed with claiming high false positives on the rapid test. I had always read that the issues with inaccuracy led to a high number of false NEGATIVES.

[soonerguru]

I don’t want to defend the government but:. No official, govt or private has ever seen anything anywhere like this before because there hasn’t been anything like it. I agree with you completely that as it’s gone along they should have learned faster and adapted. But I think the American way of “business, profits and growth” are just too hard for our leaders to put aside for the good of mankind. Change from the status quo is proving to be nearly impossible.

Other countries have it under control. It is a raging inferno in the US and you have governors like ours and the idiot in Florida and the Georgia governor overruling cities that passed mask ordinances. You have Trump lying and spreading disinformation about the virus and insisting on opening schools (and threatening to withhold federal funding for school districts that don't open).

This isn't just absurd, it is actively abusive. Stupidity is a factor, but self interest is an even bigger factor. 100% devotion to Trump's reelection campaign, which, ironically, will be tanked because he is doing such a tragic job leading during this crisis.

[C_M_25]

Sure seemed like BS to me, and C_M is the only person I've conversed with claiming high false positives on the rapid test. I had always read that the issues with inaccuracy led to a high number of false NEGATIVES.

Jeez sooner...do you ever quit with the hyperbole?? Where did I say those tests have a “high rate of false positives????” Please, show me. I said that they can have false positives. I also agree that they can have false negatives too.

You’re missing the whole point of that conversation. The point was that why would we include more, high error test data in an already screwed up data environment so suddenly. If they really want to do this, why not have a metric which continues to count as they do today and a second metric where they include the rapid tests? Consistency helps...

Oh, and please stop with the hyperbole and putting words in my mouth.

[C_M_25]

Saw this tonight and thought it was interesting/highly disturbing if true.

[d-usa]

https://www.politifact.com/factcheck...ting-nothing-/

[Bill Robertson]

https://www.politifact.com/factcheck...ting-nothing-/

1) A few months ago I might have been convinced that this thing is being blown way out of proportion. Not now as 1) I now personally know of people who have or have had it. And 2) Who really benefits from a huge number of people having a virus that “doesn’t exist”?

[Anonymous.]

Don't believe or spend any time on the "an OKC clinic has sent in unused tests and they came back positive" anecdote, that is a Coronavirus denialist talking point that is straight up lies. Same story is being passed around about unnamed clinics all over the country with just the location changed. It is, quite literally, fake news.

I am not a denialist of the virus. You can believe what you want, but I am only reporting a fact from the PA with said information.

[Dustin]

I got tested this morning in Guthrie as they were the only testing site that could schedule me the next day. I haven't been feeling bad except for a swollen and tender gland on the left side of my neck. It's never happened to me before. I got swabbed at the doctors office for strep which came back negative, so it was recommended that I get tested for covid.

My doctor told me to quarantine until my results came back, but who knows when that will be now...

Has anyone been tested recently? When did you get your results back?

They called me this morning. Negative. It took six days...

How long can the virus live on the swab before it dies? Makes you wonder how many are actually positive and then turn negative before they are able to test them...

[jonny d]

They called me this morning. Negative. It took six days...

How long can the virus live on the swab before it dies? Makes you wonder how many are actually positive and then turn negative before they are able to test them...

I really hope you aren't spending that much time on it.

[Scott5114]

No matter what, this entire situation demonstrates how incredibly ill-equipped our government is to handle a pandemic.

Especially, since we've now had a good 6 months to prepare and we still can't process tests and data quickly and accurately.

It's nothing less than shocking.

This is the state whose government can't even figure out how to correctly center the text on a road sign. I'm not shocked at all that they botched something that's actually important.

How long can the virus live on the swab before it dies? Makes you wonder how many are actually positive and then turn negative before they are able to test them...

The tests work by mixing the sample with chemicals that react to specific bits of the virus (either the genetic material or proteins). I think that means it would still be able to detect a "dead" virus.