Covid-19 in OKC (coronavirus)

[dankrutka]

Not going to argue with eugenics guy, but I think it is very reasonable to think things can return closer to normal in the summer.. but it’s not a binary: normal or full pandemic. For example, it’s likely we should keep wearing masks for the rest of the year when in crowded indoor spaces. But, for example, if everyone in a room is vaccinated, masks just aren’t necessary. And people who’ve stayed out of indoor spaces can safely return once vaccinated. There could be another small wave, but things are looking up. People should feel optimistic.

I highly recommend this article by Zeynep Tufekci. She explains the failures in public messaging... really important stuff we must learn from: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/ar...kfired/618147/

[soonerguru]

779 new cases today; 7-day rolling average 783.

59 additional reported deaths; 7-day rolling average 32.0.

Hospitalizations are 484 (-42).

ICU is 150 (-0).

So this trend of reduced new case count seems to be solid. Looking forward to it getting to under 500 / day again, as it was in early June.

That being said, the continued high number of deaths is alarming. I realize deaths are lagging indicators of new cases, so it may be a while before we see deaths truly go down, but part of me wonders if the strain of Covid going around right now may be more deadly. The numbers would seem to bear this out.

[OKC Talker]

From a macro level, no one minute portion of the population (as small as the defined one in my aforementioned post) should be the tipping point for society. I simply don’t believe that a segment this small should affect when millions of children return to school, when the millions in the hospitality industry can fully recover, all those in the energy sector, and on and on.

Let me try framing this in a way that may resonate with you more. A miniscule portion of the US population own assault rifles. I don’t believe that a segment this small should affect the safety of millions of children in school, how the millions in law enforcement should behave, all those that have been affected by workplace shootings, and on and on. Do you think we should ban assault weapons?

This is just an example and I have no interest in starting a gun rights discussion, but hopefully it helped to put you in the shoes of the "vulnerable population" and see why they shouldn't just be ignored.

[OKC Talker]

but it’s not a binary: normal or full pandemic. For example, it’s likely we should keep wearing masks for the rest of the year when in crowded indoor spaces. But, for example, if everyone in a room is vaccinated, masks just aren’t necessary. And people who’ve stayed out of indoor spaces can safely return once vaccinated.

I just want to mention that the vaccine will prevent you from getting sick, but there's still a possibility that you can get infected and infect others.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/scien...ion-180977054/

[Canoe]

I just want to mention that the vaccine will prevent you from getting sick, but there's still a possibility that you can get infected and infect others.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/scien...ion-180977054/

From the CDC:

Vaccine: A product that stimulates a person's immune system to produce immunity to a specific disease, protecting the person from that disease.

And from the dictionary.

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/...nglish/vaccine

[PoliSciGuy]

The data is still out on whether or not these vaccines prevent the spread of COVID, regardless of what the dictionary says.

[Pete]

706 new cases today; 7-day rolling average 736.

49 additional reported deaths; 7-day rolling average 35.3.

[dankrutka]

I just want to mention that the vaccine will prevent you from getting sick, but there's still a possibility that you can get infected and infect others.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/scien...ion-180977054/

The data is still out on whether or not these vaccines prevent the spread of COVID, regardless of what the dictionary says.

The emerging research is pretty clear that the vaccines will reduce the ability to transmit by 90% or more. Things are looking very good on that front. And if you're around other vaccinated people then the risk of sickness from reinfection is near zero. Again, you should be excited to be vaccinated and increasingly feel comfortable around other vaccinated people. People should continue being cautious (e.g., you still should wear masks indoors in public places because people don't know you're vaccinated), but it's also important people realize that the vaccines will change our lives. There's a lot of "but actually" going on about variants and people are starting to lose hope that the vaccines won't improve their lives. The scientific news is nearly miraculous. We need to acknowledge that more. See the article I posted for a long explanation on this.

[Pete]

My four sisters and I are all older and we all should be fully vaccinated in the next month or so.

I haven't seen most of them for quite a while -- not even over the holidays.

Looking forward to having them all over to my house very soon.

[catch22]

I can't express enough how much of a relief it was to finally get the vaccine. I wasn't jumping for excitement to go get it, but once I was in there sitting at the table it finally hit me like a ton of bricks - this is going to be over at some point, and it seems like it will be sooner than later. I am not incredibly social so I am not missing on personal interactions a ton, but I love to travel and not being able to travel as much as I like has impacted me emotionally. I get my booster on Tuesday, it is just incredibly exciting now to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

[Pete]

^

Yes, and seeing all the people working at these vaccination clinics and the lines of people getting immunized helps to frame the scale of the issue. For most of us, this has been an invisible enemy only affecting the friend of a friend in any serious way.

I'm so ready for this to be over with. I AM very social and involved with all types of groups, plus I just miss my family. It's taken a big toll on my psyche and my business as well, which is nearing the point of no return. As I've posted before, I've been experiencing something like a low-grade depression since this started.

I'm also incredibly tired of worrying about the lack of caring and compassion of so many in the wider population. The vax will cause a paradigm shift, where all the non-believing selfish a-holes will be the ones at risk, not everyone else (apart from some who can't take the vaccine).

Herd immunity through vaccination can't come soon enough for me. I've never felt down for an extended period and I can't take much more of this.

[catch22]

^

Yes, and seeing all the people working at these vaccination clinics and the lines of people getting immunized helps to frame the scale of the issue. For most of us, this has been an invisible enemy only affecting the friend of a friend in any serious way.

I'm so ready for this to be over with. I AM very social and involved with all types of groups, plus I just miss my family. It's taken a big toll on my psyche and my business as well, which is nearing the point of no return. As I've posted before, I've been experiencing something like a low-grade depression since this started.

I'm also incredibly tired of worrying about the lack of caring and compassion of so many in the wider population. The vax will cause a paradigm shift, where all the non-believing selfish a-holes will be the ones at risk, not everyone else (apart from some who can't take the vaccine).

Herd immunity through vaccination can't come soon enough for me. I've never felt down for an extended period and I can't take much more of this.

Should get an OKCTalk meetup organized when things settle down. Late summer evening on a rooftop in downtown with some good drinks - sounds like a different universe. I was thinking the other day how weird it would be to sit elbow to elbow with a complete stranger in a packed bar, how quickly things change...

[Bill Robertson]

Should get an OKCTalk meetup organized when things settle down. Late summer evening on a rooftop in downtown with some good drinks - sounds like a different universe. I was thinking the other day how weird it would be to sit elbow to elbow with a complete stranger in a packed bar, how quickly things change...

That sounds like a great idea. Through this past year there's been a lot of serious discussion, agreements and disagreements. Even some down right arguments. But all in all it's been very helpful and interesting. I've learned a lot. I'd like to see some of the faces that I only know as names or handles.

[catch22]

That sounds like a great idea. Through this past year there's been a lot of serious discussion, agreements and disagreements. Even some down right arguments. But all in all it's been very helpful and interesting. I've learned a lot. I'd like to see some of the faces that I only know as names or handles.

if anything it would quell the tensions. People are 10 times better in person than they are on the internet. I know I am a bit more tame (pretty tame in general though)

[Bill Robertson]

if anything it would quell the tensions. People are 10 times better in person than they are on the internet. I know I am a bit more tame (pretty tame in general though)

True. I'm harsher on a keyboard. And a lot of my posting is in the evening when I tend to hurt more. And have been known to drink a couple to numb it.

[C_M_25]

Things are looking better here, but we need to be careful not to count our chickens before they hatch. It looks like the national case counts are trending back up after the past few days. Let’s hope this is a short-term plateau.

[soonerguru]

The emerging research is pretty clear that the vaccines will reduce the ability to transmit by 90% or more. Things are looking very good on that front. And if you're around other vaccinated people then the risk of sickness from reinfection is near zero. Again, you should be excited to be vaccinated and increasingly feel comfortable around other vaccinated people. People should continue being cautious (e.g., you still should wear masks indoors in public places because people don't know you're vaccinated), but it's also important people realize that the vaccines will change our lives. There's a lot of "but actually" going on about variants and people are starting to lose hope that the vaccines won't improve their lives. The scientific news is nearly miraculous. We need to acknowledge that more. See the article I posted for a long explanation on this.

+1. This is one of the greatest achievements in the history of science. It is literally almost unbelievable. So, yeah, there are still some remaining "yeah buts," and we should still take basic precautions, particularly until 70% of the population gets vaccinated, but this is a moment to celebrate. Few would have predicted we would be where we are today. It almost seems like divine intervention.

[soonerguru]

Things are looking better here, but we need to be careful not to count our chickens before they hatch. It looks like the national case counts are trending back up after the past few days. Let’s hope this is a short-term plateau.

Hopefully it's a dead cat bounce.

[soonerguru]

True. I'm harsher on a keyboard. And a lot of my posting is in the evening when I tend to hurt more. And have been known to drink a couple to numb it.

Oh Bill, you comport yourself as a perfect gentlemen online. I can't think of a single time I thought, "Man, that guy's a real a--hole."

[dankrutka]

if anything it would quell the tensions. People are 10 times better in person than they are on the internet. I know I am a bit more tame (pretty tame in general though)

This is true. I think we can all be a bit harsher behind keyboards. I know I can and certainly regret it at times. I went to one of the OKCTalk meet ups and everyone was really friendly.

[catch22]

This is true. I think we can all be a bit harsher behind keyboards. I know I can and certainly regret it at times. I went to one of the OKCTalk meet ups and everyone was really friendly.

I know we are veering off topic. I have been to 2 or 3 and was surprised at how cordial and nice everyone was. Was great to put some faces to names, and it really helps to give some latitude in the online realm. Disagreements don’t always have to be personal and heated. It is kind of a self-fueling fire. Online “they” are more fierce, and you are more fierce. The worst of both people meeting head to head - but in person no problem. Would be nice to get something together sometime. I would love to meet some new people from the site. I think I saw you, Dan, in Hatch but wasn’t sure so didn’t say anything

[Bill Robertson]

An old friend re-posted this on FB. At first I was going to copy it to here and then rant about what I think of this attitude or philosophy. Instead I'll ask: What do you think?

[PoliSciGuy]

Given the collective nature of the problem though, refusing is absolutely the correct term. They’re refusing to help us get to herd immunity, refusing to take steps to stop community spread, refusing a free vaccine that would help mitigate the creation of new strains of the disease, refusing to take part in a collective effort to lower stress on our healthcare system. Refusing, and all of the moral weight that comes with it, is absolutely appropriate in this case because they are proactively endangering the larger community with their inaction.

[HangryHippo]

Given the collective nature of the problem though, refusing is absolutely the correct term. They’re refusing to help us get to herd immunity, refusing to take steps to stop community spread, refusing a free vaccine that would help mitigate the creation of new strains of the disease, refusing to take part in a collective effort to lower stress on our healthcare system. Refusing, and all of the moral weight that comes with it, is absolutely appropriate in this case because they are proactively endangering the larger community with their inaction.

This. Very well said.

[Canoe]

Refusing, and all of the moral weight that comes with it, is absolutely appropriate in this case because they are proactively endangering the larger community with their inaction.

I also have authoritarian impulses from time to time. It is best that we examine these issues individually. We can have a debate on if verbal force and social pressure should or should not be used on a population to ensure a higher rate of compliance, but politics is not the point of this thread. So, I will drop the subject here.