State Medical Leaders Urge Caution, Say Hospital Situation Is Dire

State medical leaders are urging Oklahomans to continue to take measures to keep themselves and their neighbors healthy.

Experts said they know people are tired of hearing about COVID-19, but doctors and nurses are even more exhausted treating it.

Total COVID-19 cases in Oklahoma have now surpassed 220,000 cases, which is 5% of the state's population. They reported nearly 2,300 new positive cases in the past 24 hours. There are another 11 deaths.

The Healthier Oklahoma Coalition said the situation unfolding at hospitals across the state is dire. These experts say hospitals in both cities and rural areas are near capacity.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health said there are around 50 ICU beds available across Oklahoma. As the number of people in the hospital with COVID-19 hovers around 1,700, medical leaders are pleading for everyone to help.

"What's heartbreaking is to watch patients suffer and die, and watch my exhausted colleagues catch their breath under their face-masks and face-shields, only to see people walk around in the community not wearing masks or doing their part," Oklahoma Academy of Family Physicians President-Elect Dr Sam Ratermann said.

Ratermann said some patients in both cities and rural areas are having to wait for hours in emergency rooms or be moved to another hospital far away, to get the help they need.

"The problem is, as COVID has increased in our state, those bigger systems are also overwhelmed, making it nearly impossible to transfer those patients to places where they can get the care they need," Ratermann said.

President of the Oklahoma State Medical Association George Monks said the system is maxed out across the state and it is impacting care for everyone, not just COVID-19 patients.

"It's all hands-on deck right now in Oklahoma, and so even though these numbers can change every hour, I want to tell you things are really strained right now, and our ability right now to deliver quality medical care is compromised," Monks said.

The coalition hopes to see improved numbers once the vaccine comes to Oklahoma. We're told that process will begin soon for healthcare workers and nursing home residents.