Covid-19 in OKC (coronavirus)

[jerrywall]

By pure luck I read two articles in a row this morning...

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6920e2.htm

It's an interesting breakdown of one outbreak/spread in early March from a church service.

And then

https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/19/us/co...rnd/index.html

I wonder if in a month or two CDC will be publishing a report on a new outbreak.

[FighttheGoodFight]

By pure luck I read two articles in a row this morning...

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6920e2.htm

It's an interesting breakdown of one outbreak/spread in early March from a church service.

And then

https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/19/us/co...rnd/index.html

I wonder if in a month or two CDC will be publishing a report on a new outbreak.

I read about that case in Arkansas from the church service. I wonder if it is more to do with the part of church that involves hugging and handshaking or something with the singing for prolonged periods of time. They fact two people who were symptomatic attended church makes it worse...

[David]

Heard a really interesting interview on the way home from work. I was at Twin Peaks the night of the Thunder - Utah game that was at the beginning of everything going downhill. It was odd watching a half hour of “what the hell”. Gov Stitt was on Traber’s show on the Animal and talked about it. He and his son were at the game. He got a call from the chief of the health dept. saying that a Jazz player had tested positive. At this point no one else knew. Stitt went to Sam Presti and Clay Bennett and they went to a private area and discussed the situation. The NBA Commissioner was called to see what NBA policy was but of course there wasn’t one yet. The decision was made to call off the game. Then a discussion was had about how to announce it to the crowd in order to get the calmest reaction possible. I had really been curious about what happened during that half hour.

That does sound interesting. So how did they announce it to the crowd? Getting that many people to leave and go home while not panicking seems like a challenge.

[Ginkasa]

I think declaring that COVID as a whole has been overblown is a little flippant and maybe self-centered from us here in Oklahoma. It clearly has hit some places worldwide and in the US very hard, but we are fortunate here in Oklahoma for it to not have exploded as it has in other places.

I hope as more and more business re-open and more and more people become comfortable resuming their "normal lives" that that things at worst stay at the same levels they had been. Maybe it is something about OK or OKC that has prevented the virus from propagating like it has in NYC or some other locations - population density or something else.

I fear that our response to the virus as soon as we had cases in-state is what has prevented the spread and that re-opening too soon will result in additional, needless cases cropping up and damaging human lives.

I am not an oracle, however, or have the education or experience necessary to make an informed prediction on how things will turn out. Neither are most (all?) of the posters on this board. But these are my thoughts.

[Bill Robertson]

That does sound interesting. So how did they announce it to the crowd? Getting that many people to leave and go home while not panicking seems like a challenge.

They announced that “For unforeseen circumstances tonights game has been postponed. Please leave the arena calmly and courteously”. The first sentence is verbatim. The second might be worded a bit off but was something very close to that.

[Pete]

Having trouble uploading my graphic but today's numbers showed the following increases:

Positive cases: 43
Hospitalized: 8
Deaths: 5

[Bill Robertson]

4 days in a row that new cases are below 100. Only second time that has happened. Both in May.
Also yesterday’s 91 new cases were from 4831 test results. One of the best percentages yet. All three days below 100 were very good percentages.

[Pete]

BTW, I haven't been out to dine in a restaurant or sit in a bar but I'm hearing from operators that bars have been doing great business, just about what it was before all this.

Restaurants are slow, however. And that makes sense because there are loads of ways to get food. Same with alcohol but with bars there is a much stronger social component and most of the people that go out to drink are younger and at less risk.

Will be interesting to see how business for both restaurants and bars evolves.

[king183]

BTW, I haven't been out to dine in a restaurant or sit in a bar but I'm hearing from operators that bars have been doing great business, just about what it was before all this.

Restaurants are slow, however. And that makes sense because there are loads of ways to get food. Same with alcohol but with bars there is a much stronger social component and most of the people that go out to drink are younger and at less risk.

Will be interesting to see how business for both restaurants and bars evolves.

I went to Picasso's for dinner last night. It was the first time I've been to a restaurant (or any non grocery establishment) since this began. They only have their patio open and every other table was blocked off to create distance, so they could only serve 5 parties. I did drive by Social Capital and it looked like they were doing well.

[oklip955]

I went out to do some grocery as well as some other needed shopping yesterday. i am trying to go out every 2 or 3 weeks since I am in my 60's with asthma. No problems with shopping at my usual Sprouts and Aldi's shopping. I had to go to Lowe's for light bulbs and a few other essential items. (I did stock up before hand but went through a bunch) No one would social distance or if I asked them to social distance, people who ignor me. I am have a bad knee and it was clearly bothering me. People made me move instead. I had one employee who came up to me close and asked if I needed help finding anything. I asked her to social distance and waved her away. She kept following me and said, that she could not hear me and let me get close to you to hear. I mean should just kept following me around. She finally got the message. Later at the check out, I was watching a man stand in the exit door way with his kids. Well after a few price checks and a few delays, the lady got me checked out. I asked the man to move so that i could get my cart out the door and he refused to even make room for me to leave the store with the cart. Really, forget social distancing. People are just rude. At Target, I choose the wrong doors, the set was closed, so I walked to the open set. About 8 people shoulder to shoulder spanning the width of the sidewalk and younger then men refused to move a bit and I had to step off into traffic. What happened to being a gentleman?? What kind of person makes an older lady step off a side walk into the road full of cars? Not even talking about social distancing. I walked about 4 x as much as I should have for the amount of shopping I needed to do and now trying to get my knee to feel better after this. If we are not talking social distancing, can we at least be a bit polite to older people? If one doesn't want to social distance because they don't believe this is anything, then at least do so for those who are at greater risk. I live out in the country so delivery is not an option. And no I don't have anyone to shop for me. Please can people think about those who are older. I am not attacking anyone on this group. I am afraid that if we don't follow basics on this, if we do get a large second wave, we may be in trouble.

[kukblue1]

The Death rate for over 65 is 80%. How do we protect our older generation? Let's give these people an extra $600 a week in their Social Security instead of giving it to the healthy 30 year old that should be out working. JMO

[dankrutka]

Dan is anything but anonymous.

I literally use my own name and have posted here for a decade!

[dankrutka]

I went to Picasso's for dinner last night. It was the first time I've been to a restaurant (or any non grocery establishment) since this began. They only have their patio open and every other table was blocked off to create distance, so they could only serve 5 parties. I did drive by Social Capital and it looked like they were doing well.

It's nice to hear that Picasso's is set up responsibly. Social Capital and Fassler Hall are set up well to succeed with lots of tables (more social distancing) and lots of outdoor seating. Generally, those places can have a lot of customers and a lot of open tables anyway. Again, I'd love to see more places achieve this by using parking spaces or streets if possible.

[Pete]

^

I said this at the very beginning of this outbreak: everything about America is built on hyper-capitalism, competition and looking out for #1. Consequently, we are especially ill-equipped for something like a pandemic which requires some small sacrifices for the greater good.

And I'm sorry but it must be said, the "screw everyone else, I just want what I want" mentality has greatly accelerated in recent years. And the 'everything is a conspiracy and no information can be trusted' movement has played right into this as well.

So, here we are and it's absolutely no coincidence that we have way more cases and deaths than any other country.

The question becomes, do we just continue down this dangerous Greed is Good path or will this be a pivot point where we take stock of what is important and realize we don't need a new car every few years or some huge home even though families are much smaller than when the average home size was about 1/3rd what it is now? Or faced with an actual trial run, do we merely decide we'll continue to roll the dice because we want immediate gratification?

I think these are the most interesting questions coming from this entire situation.

[soonerguru]

I went out to do some grocery as well as some other needed shopping yesterday. i am trying to go out every 2 or 3 weeks since I am in my 60's with asthma. No problems with shopping at my usual Sprouts and Aldi's shopping. I had to go to Lowe's for light bulbs and a few other essential items. (I did stock up before hand but went through a bunch) No one would social distance or if I asked them to social distance, people who ignor me. I am have a bad knee and it was clearly bothering me. People made me move instead. I had one employee who came up to me close and asked if I needed help finding anything. I asked her to social distance and waved her away. She kept following me and said, that she could not hear me and let me get close to you to hear. I mean should just kept following me around. She finally got the message. Later at the check out, I was watching a man stand in the exit door way with his kids. Well after a few price checks and a few delays, the lady got me checked out. I asked the man to move so that i could get my cart out the door and he refused to even make room for me to leave the store with the cart. Really, forget social distancing. People are just rude. At Target, I choose the wrong doors, the set was closed, so I walked to the open set. About 8 people shoulder to shoulder spanning the width of the sidewalk and younger then men refused to move a bit and I had to step off into traffic. What happened to being a gentleman?? What kind of person makes an older lady step off a side walk into the road full of cars? Not even talking about social distancing. I walked about 4 x as much as I should have for the amount of shopping I needed to do and now trying to get my knee to feel better after this. If we are not talking social distancing, can we at least be a bit polite to older people? If one doesn't want to social distance because they don't believe this is anything, then at least do so for those who are at greater risk. I live out in the country so delivery is not an option. And no I don't have anyone to shop for me. Please can people think about those who are older. I am not attacking anyone on this group. I am afraid that if we don't follow basics on this, if we do get a large second wave, we may be in trouble.

Reading this makes me truly sad -- and angry. I'm sorry this happened. May I recommend Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and Costco? I know they may or may not be your preferred shopping locales, but it seems as if they are taking this very seriously. Sadly, our own Oklahoma-owned businesses are hit or miss at best.

What is baffling to me is the people who on one hand are bellyaching as if they have been chained up in the bowels of a Soviet-era gulag but refuse to act with basic responsibility to protect themselves and others in public places.

Just by taking these basic precautions, the bellyachers would be enabling the economy to reopen, for more people to feel safe to revisit establishments, and better, help eradicate or reduce the spread of the virus.

This level of stupidity, selfishness and inhumanity deserves public shame and ridicule. Like this entitled jerkwad. Wear a mask, people. It's not that hard.

[FighttheGoodFight]

Seeing some churches are starting to open on May 31. Split services but masks not required but encouraged. I think I will be waiting until the end of June or maybe later to return to church. I just have a sick feeling that the older population going to church will be hurt from this. I consider my church my family and losing members would leave me devastated.

[oklip955]

I agree, mine is asking those over 65 to stay at home. I am 61 and thinking what I should do. I might opt for continuing to live steam.

[oklip955]

As far as food shopping, I did not have issues with Sprouts or Aldi's. It was Lowe's and Target for non food items. I needed light bulbs. I have light fixtures that have light 6 or 8 bulbs in them. They seem to want to go out all around the same time. I am worried about crowds in Costco. I might try them next time. I am a member at Costco and Sam's club. I really don't want to drive that far to Whole Foods but I might. Its usually in the rotation every few months and I do like their bakery.

[Bill Robertson]

Seeing some churches are starting to open on May 31. Split services but masks not required but encouraged. I think I will be waiting until the end of June or maybe later to return to church. I just have a sick feeling that the older population going to church will be hurt from this. I consider my church my family and losing members would leave me devastated.

Agreed. Our church is planning on opening to some extent in mid June. We’re going to wait and keep watching online until at least some time in July unless things really get much better very fast.

[FighttheGoodFight]

I literally use my own name and have posted here for a decade!

I feel embarrassed to say I thought your name was Dank Rutka... Some sort of play on the cannabis industry here in OK.

[Bill Robertson]

The Death rate for over 65 is 80%. How do we protect our older generation? Let's give these people an extra $600 a week in their Social Security instead of giving it to the healthy 30 year old that should be out working. JMO

I couldn’t agree more that the older you are the more careful you need to be about avoiding this virus. But in the interest of accuracy the 65+ data in Oklahoma is 234 deaths and 1412 cases. That’s 17%.

[soonerguru]

As far as food shopping, I did not have issues with Sprouts or Aldi's. It was Lowe's and Target for non food items. I needed light bulbs. I have light fixtures that have light 6 or 8 bulbs in them. They seem to want to go out all around the same time. I am worried about crowds in Costco. I might try them next time. I am a member at Costco and Sam's club. I really don't want to drive that far to Whole Foods but I might. Its usually in the rotation every few months and I do like their bakery.

If I am not mistaken Costco is limiting how many are in the store at a time. As for things like light bulbs, Amazon.com is an alternative.

Tough deal though is you can't really get things like paper towels from Amazon.

[soonerguru]

I literally use my own name and have posted here for a decade!

I for one have always appreciated your intelligent posts here.

[floyd the barber]

Maybe it is the pessimist in me, but I don't understand how you could objectively say things are looking better. We have eleven new deaths reported in the last 24 hours. Yes I understand these deaths occured a few days ago, but it stands to reason that there will be deaths today, tomorrow, and the next day that are reported in the days following after.

I have complete faith that things will get better eventually. Every other country as far as I know has not seen a second wave like we thought.

I think things are steady at best. We are not out of the woods.

[LocoAko]

The Death rate for over 65 is 80%. How do we protect our older generation? Let's give these people an extra $600 a week in their Social Security instead of giving it to the healthy 30 year old that should be out working. JMO

Since when?