UPDATE Feb. 1: The list of participating pharmacies provided by the state is subject to change and may include pharmacies that have yet to receive their shipments.
As cloth masks are considered less effective to reduce COVID-19 spread, the Oklahoma State Department of Health has committed to distributing half a million N95 masks free through local pharmacies.
“With the highly transmissible omicron variant we know that the quality of the mask someone chooses to wear matters,” Michael DeRemer, director of emergency preparedness and response service for the State Health Department, said in a news release. “We want to make sure all Oklahomans have access to the best mask possible to protect themselves and others from this virus, no matter where they live and at no cost.”
In Tulsa County, 62 pharmacies were listed as of Monday among those providing the free N95 masks through the State Health Department. The list of participating pharmacies can be found at oklahoma.gov/covid19.
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Pharmacies at major retailers such as CVS, Walgreens and Walmart are not distributing the free masks at this time, the state said.
According to state health officials, certain pharmacies began receiving the masks Thursday, with another shipment Monday. They are coming from the federal Strategic National Stockpile, which has more than 750 million N95 masks on hand.
“Loosely woven cloth products provide the least protection,” according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance on choosing masks. For the greatest levels of protection, the CDC recommends surgical or N95-style masks that fit well around the nose and mouth, especially in situations of greater risk and for those who are not fully vaccinated.
Cloths masks are not effective against the highly contagious omicron variant. According to health officials, here are the face masks that offer the most protection against the omicron variant. Source by: Stringr
Get tests mailed to you: COVID-19 information Oklahomans need to know
Where you can find COVID testing
Households may order free at-home tests from USPS.com. Limit of one order per residential address (each order includes four individual rapid antigen COVID-19 tests); shipping free starting in late January.
The Tulsa Health Department is offering free COVID-19 testing to those who are uninsured. All local health care systems also offer testing to the community with additional sites.
Schedule a test through THD’s website, tulsa-health.org, or call 918-582-9355.
- Walmart locations
- CVS locations
- Access Medical Care
- Morton Comprehensive Health Services, 1334 N. Lansing Ave.
- Med Express, 2140 S. Yale Ave.
- MedWise Urgent Care Center | Walk-In Clinics
- Community Health Connection, 12020 E. 31st St.
- Regional Medical Laboratory, 9330 E. 41st St.
- Tulsa Mobile COVID Testing
- NOHS Medical Clinic
- 6732 E. 41st St.
- Call ahead to schedule: 918-794-4777
- Arc Diagnostics
- Curative
- Drive-thru testing in Tulsa County
Saint Francis Health System — Warren Clinic Elm in Broken Arrow has a drive-through clinic in the southwest parking lot that is open seven days a week during urgent care hours, with no appointments required. Stay in your car and follow the pink signs.
Ascension St. John — COVID-19 testing for the public is handled through Regional Medical Laboratory by appointment, mostly from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. There are multiple RML locations in Tulsa County, with a high-capacity drive-through facility at 9330 E. 41st St: rmlonline.com
Axis HealthCare System — Locations in Bixby, Bartlesville, Inola, Pryor and Sapulpa offer drive-through testing with no out-of-pocket cost. PCR tests are done in-house, with results in 24-48 hours. Go to axishealth.net or call 918-943-3790.
Risk of reinfection higher with omicron variant, Oklahoma epidemiologist says
Kids with COVID symptoms: When do parents need to seek urgent care?
Most updated mask guidance from CDC, WHO
Breakthrough cases are occurring in vaccinated individuals, who in a small percentage of cases are requiring hospitalization for those infections.
The World Health Organization and CDC agree: Unvaccinated individuals should keep wearing face masks in public places.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends fully vaccinated people in areas of high transmission wear a mask in public indoor settings.
Cloth masks are not recommended due to ineffective prevention of omicron variant transmission.
Incidence of severe or fatal COVID in children similar to adult rate, Saint Francis doctor says
Who is mandated to receive a COVID-19 vaccine?
Health care employees, like with many other vaccine-preventable illnesses, are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The Supreme Court on Jan. 13, 2022, allowed the mandate for workers at federally funded health care facilities to take effect nationwide.
The same decision blocked a federal vaccine-or-test requirement for large workplaces. Oklahoma had joined attorneys general in six other states in asking for a stay of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration rule requiring that employees in workplaces of 100 or more be vaccinated.
Oklahoma's AG also filed a lawsuit that resulted in a temporary restraining order to prevent Ascension St. John from suspending or firing employees who refuse to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and whose religious exemption has been denied.
Attorney General John O’Connor also has sued in other courts in efforts to stop federal vaccination mandates, including one for federal contractors.
The Secretary of Defense has said members of the Oklahoma National Guard would not be given an exemption from a federal vaccination requirement. Oklahoma Air National Guard members risk their pay if they drill without having been vaccinated.
How do Oklahomans feel about federal vaccine mandates?
Does your child age 5-11 really need a COVID-19 vaccine?
The arrival of child-sized doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has Oklahoma pediatricians fielding a new, common question: Does my child really need this?
“Children are not supposed to pass away,” said Dr. Donna Tyungu, pediatric infectious disease specialist with Oklahoma Children’s Hospital-OU Health. “COVID is now one of the 10 leading causes of death for children in this country — and now it has become a vaccine-preventable illness.
“We know from adult cases the chance to get reinfected is three times lower for those who are vaccinated than for those who have already been infected. With the delta variant, the virus was much, much more transmissible among children, which is what led to thousands of children being hospitalized and hundreds of deaths in this age group.”
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Primary care physician Brad Hardy discusses post-COVID syndrome
Can schools mandate masks?
Senate Bill 658 bars school districts from imposing mask mandates unless a public health emergency is declared — something Gov. Kevin Stitt has said he wouldn’t do amid a sharp rise in COVID-related hospitalizations.
State leaders have been told by federal officials it is within a local school district's discretion to use stimulus funds for implementing indoor masking policies aligned with CDC guidance. Oklahoma plans to appeal a judge’s Sept. 1 ruling that mandates are legal if exemptions are allowed.
Read more: Feds investigating Oklahoma over school mask-mandate ban
"Go get your shots." Unvaccinated COVID patient talks about his illness
Can unvaccinated people be immune due to a previous COVID infection?
Post-COVID infection expectations
Nearly one-quarter of patients had at least one post-COVID condition 30 days or more after their initial diagnosis.
Patients with more severe cases of COVID-19 have more post-infection health conditions, but 19% of asymptomatic cases also suffer long-hauler symptoms.
The five most common post-COVID conditions across all ages (from most to least common): pain, breathing difficulties, hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol/triglycerides), malaise and fatigue, and high blood pressure.
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Ashley Jones
Staff Writer
I’m a breaking news reporter, covering crime and other spot news. I graduated from the University of Missouri with a journalism degree in 2021 before joining the Tulsa World. Send tips to news@tulsaworld.com
