As experts predicted, a surge of COVID-19 cases roared in after the holiday gatherings, putting unvaccinated people at risk and filling up emergency rooms and hospitals.
Oklahoma has always fared poorly in its fight against the virus, landing at No. 3 in the COVID death rate since the pandemic’s beginning.
One of the reasons is the state’s poor health outcomes before the virus struck. For decades, Oklahoma has ranked among the nation’s worst in areas including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, lung disease and exercise.
Add in a resistance by residents to the vaccine — the most proven and effective tool in the arsenal against the virus — and there is a perfect storm for tragedy.
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The omicron variant swept through the state as quickly as it sped across the globe. It’s become Oklahoma’s dominant variant, and health officials are still figuring out its peculiarities. For the unvaccinated, it has led to hospitalizations and death.
It may have been here for a while, but the state lagged in testing for variants. It’s important to know the strain in order to tackle it effectively.
We appreciate the work last month of a team of scientists, epidemiologists and public health leaders who analyzed samples from sewage systems that represent more than 1.2 million Oklahomans. The findings, as analyzed by University of Oklahoma microbiologists, were the first to identify a spreading omicron variant and jump in COVID-19 in Oklahoma.
The challenge with COVID is that its variant mutations aren’t necessarily less dangerous, which has been the case with other viruses. This makes treatment an ongoing problem.
Oklahoma hasn’t been able to secure enough monoclonal antibody treatments for the omicron variant, which doesn’t appear to respond to the original drug cocktails, according to Dr. Dale Bratzler the University of Oklahoma’s chief COVID officer.
The current outbreak is rippling through the economy. Schools are going to distance learning due to staff shortages from illness, causing parents to stay home with children. Employers are also dealing with worker outbreaks.
Oklahoma has 53.1% of its residents fully vaccinated, compared to 61.7% nationally. Only 27.8% of the state’s fully vaccinated population has gotten a booster, compared with 30.8% across the country.
Vaccines slow the spread, lessen symptoms for those who contract it and reduce opportunities for more mutations. To date, more than 9.3 billion doses of the vaccine have been administered; it is not in any way experimental.
A pernicious obstinance has taken hold among those resisting or refusing to be vaccinated. This stubbornness is as infectious as the disease, and it’s causing harm. We need more effort to break through whatever obstacles are keeping people from being vaccinated.
For those holding out for nonmedical reasons, we urge a change of heart and ask them to recognize the risks posed. We have a civic responsibility to do what we can for the greater good.
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