State Health Department Weekly Update

IN JENKS - MASON MAURO - 2NEWS OKLAHOMA.THE OKLAHOMA STATE DEPARTMENTOF HEALTH GAVE ITS LATEST COVIDUPDATE TODAY.AS 2 NEWS OKLAHOMA REPORTERKATIE KELEHER FOUND OUT, THOSEWHO ARE VACCINATED HAVE THE BESTCNHACE OF SURVIVING COVID IFTHEY GET IT.THOSE ON THE CALL ARE URGINGOKLAHOMANS ONCE AGAIN TO GETVACCINATED.SAYING THAT DOING SO WILL NOTONLY HELP PROTECT YOU - BUT ALSOGET THE HOSPITAL NUMBERS DOWN.DEPUTY HEALTH COMMISSIONER KEITHREDE SAYS -NEARLY 94 PERCENT OFHOSPITALIZATIONS IN THE PAST 30DAYS WERE IN THOSE UNVACCINATED.AND 96 PERCENT OF THOSE WHO DIEDFROM COVID DIDN'T HAVE THEVACCINE.HE SAYS A MAJORITY OF THOSE WHODIED AND WERE FULLY VACCINATEDHAD COMORBIDTIIES AND WERE 65AND OLDER"Vaccination has agin proven tobe the best protection againstserious illness, hospitalizationand death."HOSPITALS HAVE BEEN SEEING HIGHNUMBERS OPF ATIENTS ONCE AGAINAS COVID CASES SURGE.BUT THE REALP ROBLEM - IS THESHORTAGE OF NURSES."Our hospitals anecdotally arereporting, even those withstaffing contracts, that theymay be expecting lets say 10nurses and maybe four show up.So just like day to day, theamount of nursi ngstaff atbedside will determine how manypatients can be safely takencare of."PATTI DAVIS - PRESIDENT AND CEOOF THE OKLAHOMA HOSPITALASSOCIATION SAYS THEY'D LIKE TOBE ABLE TO UTILIZE NURSINGSTUDENTS AND RETIRED NURSES ONCEAGAIN.REED SAYS GETTING SPECIALTYNURSES ISN'T EASY."This is about people that areespecially trained to help incritical care with critical carepatients.

So it's not quite aseasy as shifting around andfinding the right nurses."AS HOSPITALS WAIT TO SEE IFTHERE WILL BE A POST-LAORB DAYSURGE -THEY'LL HAVE TOUGH DECISIONS TOMAKE.LIKE WHETHER TO SLOW DOWNELECTIVE SURGERIES."We've go htospitalsunfortunately boarding patientsin hallways.

We know that we'vegot hospitals using packs forholding patients.

And a varietyof things they've done,including shutting down keyservices to make more room forCOVID patients."THEY ALSO DISCUSSED WH