Covid-19 in OKC (coronavirus)

[Pete]

I belong to a social media group for restaurants and bars in OKC and almost everyone is reporting their business is way, way down.

Personally, I am not going to stop going out and I hope these businesses don't get decimated.

[Thomas Vu]

I belong to a social media group for restaurants and bars in OKC and almost everyone is reporting their business is way, way down.

Personally, I am not going to stop going out and I hope these businesses don't get decimated.

I'm not letting it affect my life in terms of frequenting restaurants. As far as I can tell OKC only got on the map cause a Jazz player flew in. I wouldn't expect them to frequent the same places I do. If they even leave their hotel at all between arriving and going to the game.

[Edmond Hausfrau]

This was posted about 5 hours ago on the OKC Reddit. If true, it's an interesting and concerning account of the testing process. If this isn't streamlined soon, this is going to be a huge disaster.

"I got tested today. Self quarantine until I get the results.
In case anyone is curious about the process:
Called my primary care doctor. Who incorrectly told me to call the Oklahoma Health Department. Do not do that. I was on hold for nearly an hour to be told to contact my primary care doctor.
He then told me to call the ER, ask for the charge nurse, tell them he sent me, and tell them why I was calling, don’t just show up. I explained that I’d been exposed to someone who was a confirmed case and that I’d had mild symptoms. Plus I’m supposed to fly somewhere for work soon. She told me to come in, but to call when I arrive.
I showed up, walked in and called. When a nurse answered, she asked if I was the CoronaVirus person, and told me to leave immediately and stand out in the parking lot. Made sense. Luckily it was a nice day.
My nurse met me with a mask to put on and let me into a negative pressure room. They closed the door and out signs all over it. Everyone who came in was in full protective gear. The doctor had a respirator with a hose, eye mask and everything.
Two nose swabs and one throat. The nose swabs suck. At that point they were going to discharge me, but nobody seemed to know how or when I would get my results. This is a new thing at this scale, and procedures aren’t streamlined yet. The ER process took about 2.5 hours.
I’m expecting my results in the next day or two. The ER doctor called me this evening and told me that some samples have to be flown to Dallas because we don’t have the capacity here.
After seeing the process at this stage, they are going to get overwhelmed quickly. If I didn’t have to fly twice per week for work I probably wouldn’t have gotten tested and just stayed home sick."

Yes, as I mentioned upthread, we count on 24-48 hours from the time the sample even reaches OSDH PHL. If they are low on certain reagants and/or need confirmation test, I could easily see sample being shipped out of state.
Serologic tests are being worked on, but for now, realize that this isn't like a "rapid strep" test.

[Pete]

^

The ER is an extremely expensive mechanism for doing this.

The cost of all this is going to be astronomical.

[MEvans]

I belong to a social media group for restaurants and bars in OKC and almost everyone is reporting their business is way, way down.

Personally, I am not going to stop going out and I hope these businesses don't get decimated.

I won't let it keep me from going out. But for those that don't feel comfortable being out, buy a gift card to your favorite restaurant to use later and let's support our local businesses.

[Edmond Hausfrau]

^

The ER is an extremely expensive mechanism for doing this.

The cost of all this is going to be astronomical.

Both OSDH and OHN do not recommend going to the ER. They ask that you contact your primary care. In the poster's case, sounds like the PCP had a high level of suspicion given the reported symptoms, and decided to treat as presumptive positive which is when the ED gets involved.
But it's a good point that given the high un- and under- insured rate in Oklahoma, many do not have a PCP.

[Bill Robertson]

I belong to a social media group for restaurants and bars in OKC and almost everyone is reporting their business is way, way down.

Personally, I am not going to stop going out and I hope these businesses don't get decimated.

I wonder who is slow. I/we have been out every night this week and everywhere we’ve been has been a usual size crowd.

[SoonerDave]

I wonder who is slow. I/we have been out every night this week and everywhere we’ve been has been a usual size crowd.

I think the key would be in specifically the volume change after the Thunder game the other night.. That was a watershed event for this whole situation nationally. I would agree that things were largely unchanged through last week - my wife and I went out to a place we don't frequent, so I can't judge the relative size of the crowd accurately, but by the time we left, it certainly seemed like business was brisk. I would be curious as to that level tonight (although today is rainy and last Friday was really nice).

[Edmond Hausfrau]

Not necessarily an OKC thing, but at the national level the VA is suspending all new admissions to Spinal cord injury centers, and halting all visits to CLCs (Community Living Centers) and SCI centers.

[BBatesokc]

I belong to a social media group for restaurants and bars in OKC and almost everyone is reporting their business is way, way down.

Personally, I am not going to stop going out and I hope these businesses don't get decimated.

Went to a popular Mexican restaurant yesterday for lunch that is normally very full. Maybe 1/3 full at 12:30. It was weird.

[Libbymin]

I was supposed to go to a concert at the Jones Assembly tonight but now everyone is trying to sell their tickets on the facebook page but no one is replying to people's posts. This is a show that had sold out before and released a couple of waves of waiting list tickets in the last several months and now no one wants to go. Strangely, the show is still on but people are just wanting them to cancel so they can get their money back because people feel obligated not to go at this point.

[chuck5815]

Went to a popular Mexican restaurant yesterday for lunch that is normally very full. Maybe 1/3 full at 12:30. It was weird.

I've heard that Chisholm Creek is just taking it in the teeth. Of course, that development was built with sustained $70 oil in mind. Not a lot of folks with big expense accounts running around town anymore.

[Pete]

I've heard that Chisholm Creek is just taking it in the teeth. Of course, that development was built with sustained $70 oil in mind. Not a lot of folks with big expense accounts running around town anymore.

Everything out there is pretty casual and mid-priced. Don't know why you'd assume why those places, in particular, are dependent on high oil prices.

[mkjeeves]

At some point you need to decide which is more important, flattening the curve, or going out to eat trying to support businesses, workers or for other reasons. Going out to eat in particular is a bad idea for flattening the curve. The industry is known for people without sick leave and marginal income showing up and working while sick. Tough choices all around.

2015 article https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt...e-they-have-to

[OkieHornet]

I was supposed to go to a concert at the Jones Assembly tonight but now everyone is trying to sell their tickets on the facebook page but no one is replying to people's posts. This is a show that had sold out before and released a couple of waves of waiting list tickets in the last several months and now no one wants to go. Strangely, the show is still on but people are just wanting them to cancel so they can get their money back because people feel obligated not to go at this point.

The Jones Assembly just sent out an email saying the Orville Peck concert tonight is postponed and will be rescheduled to a future date.

[Bunty]

I belong to a social media group for restaurants and bars in OKC and almost everyone is reporting their business is way, way down.

Personally, I am not going to stop going out and I hope these businesses don't get decimated.

I'm not either as long as local virus cases don't spike. On Thursday, Stillwater Hospital denied a rumor that there was a Coronavirus patient there.

Thursday night I was quite glad that the Stillwater Jazz Band concert featuring KFOR's meteorologist Emily Sutton as special guest singer was not canceled. She can sure sing "Over The Rainbow" pretty. The conductor started off saying, "Wow, look at this. These are the bravest people in the world. And dumbest." Turnout was close to being packed in the 710 seat auditorium. Emily's husband, inlaws, and her mother from Chicago were there. The whole concert went pretty good.

[SoonerDave]

Channel 9 is reporting that Mahogany in downtown OKC is closing temporarily for "deep cleaning and disinfection" after finding that one of its recent customers had tested positive for COVD19.

There was no specific word on the identity of the customer.

As a matter of pure conjecture on my part, I can't help but wonder if it was one of the Jazz players that has since tested positive. I've not heard of any OKC positives being reported (and understand that the Jazz players are being counted with Utah numbers).

[jn1780]

People have are being tighter with their wallets also because their fearful of their economic future. They are somewhat justified in that fear. Shutting down hospitality, travel, and entertainment is taking a big chunk out of the economy.

Businesses can only pray and hope for life to get back to normal for so long before they have to start laying people off.

[catch22]

People have are being tighter with their wallets also because their fearful of their economic future. They are somewhat justified in that fear. Shutting down hospitality, travel, and entertainment is taking a big chunk out of the economy.

Businesses can only pray and hope for life to get back to normal for so long before they have to start laying people off.

I fall into this category. At the current trajectory I am 99% certain to be laid off in the next month, so I have cut all discretionary spending. I would love to go out and patronize businesses, but I would also like to keep my house if I am out of work.

[Laramie]

I fall into this category. At the current trajectory I am 99% certain to be laid off in the next month, so I have cut all discretionary spending. I would love to go out and patronize businesses, but I would also like to keep my house if I am out of work.

Hope you're not laid off; however if you are adversely affected--prepare to look for your next job and take advantage of unemployment compensation.

IIRC you can draw 6 months (26 weeks) of benefits in a lifetime.

[Laramie]

Coronavirus in Oklahoma: Frontier City temporarily suspends operations--Oklahoman, March 13, 2020.

[chuck5815]

Coronavirus in Oklahoma: Frontier City temporarily suspends operations--Oklahoman, March 13, 2020.

It sounds like Trump is going to shut this whole MF'er down in about 45 minutes.

If you don't have two weeks of the **** you need on hand, go to the store right now.

[jccouger]

It sounds like Trump is going to shut this whole MF'er down in about 45 minutes.

If you don't have two weeks of the **** you need on hand, go to the store right now.

What do you mean by this?

[catch22]

What do you mean by this?

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/tru...on-coronavirus

[chuck5815]

What do you mean by this?

It sounds like he is going to go "Full Italy" and announce a two-week national quarantine beginning on Monday, the 16th.