Covering this now. Hearing from Dr. Hausheer.

She introduced Dr. Aaron Wendelboe. He says COVID-19 has become the third-most common cause of death in the United States. "In Oklahoma, we have observed a doubling of cases ... since Oct. 1." We're expected to double again by Dec. 15.

Wendelboe: That doesn't need to be the case. We can curb transmission and prevent those cases and those deaths.

Jane Nelson, CEO Oklahoma Nursing Association: We have measures we need Oklahomans to take through the holidays: Masking, distance, washing hands, and avoiding gatherings of 10 or more people, including family. Get routine care, especially the flu shot.

Oklahoma State Medical Association President George Monks: I echo those sentiments. Consider a virtual celebration or just a household party. If you do have people over, have every quarantine, distance or meet outside, keep it under 10 people.

Dr. Dwight Sublett, president of the OK chapter the American Academy of Pediatrics: We talk about the Oklahoma Standard in floods and tornadoes, natural disasters. "This is a disaster. We need Oklahomans to get vaccinated. Flu now, covid later. "We need people to take this on."

Dr. Hausheer: "Each and every Oklahoman really needs to embrace what we're talking about right now." We have a shared responsibility. We are calling for all the distancing and masking, but also for plasma donations from people who have been infected.

@briOKC What does the state need to do to help Oklahoma's nurses staff ICUs?
Nelson: In November, we asked the state to help with recruiting. Hospitals are competing against each other as OK competes with other states. We've asked for CARES Funds to help.

Monks: We came into this with a nursing shortage. Then, of course, the pandemic has driven up demand. Then, we have staff quarantining. Then we have staff that are parents, who might have to stay home with their kids when schools go virtual. "It's a domino effect."

@TiffanyAlaniz: What mitigation strategy should we be using?
Wendelboe: There are places people tend to get infected. Work and school, of course. But there are places that are optional: Restaurants and bars, church, coffee houses. Think of where you really NEED to go.

Monks: Our hospitals aren't overwhelmed because of elective surgeries. We need to solve the problem: that too many people are getting covid. We need mask mandates. "That's the low-hanging fruit." Mask mandates are easier than shutting down businesses, bankrupting people.

Hausheer: As many as 40 percent of people who get a negative antigen/rapid test actually have COVID. A negative antigen test result doesn't mean you're safe.
Wendelboe: I always want to encourage testing, but we need to keep in mind all tests are snapshots.

Dr. Scott Michener, chief medical officer at Comanche County Memorial Hospital: Our ICU is at 120 percent capacity. We're overflowing into other departments, we're short staffed. "The trajectory we've been on the past two or three weeks is not sustainable."

Michener: "We're not unique." Other hospitals have it just as bad. We don't have much recourse to stymie the surge, and a busy holiday weekend is coming. We're hearing that the state is saying to use asymptomatic nurses. "That, to me, seems like the most insane thing."

Nelson: Allowing asymptomatic positive nurses to work, in addition to logistical problems, sends a bad, mixed message. "They need to be home, quarantining, like the rest of the public." There's not a way to do it safely. Too many shared spaces, too many risks.

Nelson: ONA has not gotten a response from the governor on using CARES funding to bring in nurses. We've talked with Commissioner of Health Frye, but we haven't heard from Gov. Stitt.

Dr. Michener: "There's a big disconnect between what the governor sees as a bed and what is really a bed." If it's not staffed, it's not a bed. "It's easy to say you can wheel a bed in a room." "You can't create an ICU nurse. You can't create a respiratory therapist." We're out.

Michener: Our training is based on ethics, science, outcomes, studies. "It's strange for us to have to defend our position." It's this political divisiveness. The virus doesn't care if you're Republican, Democrat, old, young. "This mistrust in information is getting in our way."

Hausheer: The public has gotten mixed messaging. That's why we're here today. "We're coming to you today to level the playing field."

@ChrisKPolansky At what point have we crossed the the point of no return? When are we destined to look like NYC in the spring?
Hausheer: "We are already overstretched." We're stretched at 600 covid hospitalizations. And we're at 3,000 cases/day now. "That's unsustainable."

@ChrisKPolansky We've been trying for months to get through to people. What do we need? Morgue trucks?
Hausheer: Doctors have to deal with this kind of behavior with patients. They hear anecdotes from trusted friends, want to try that. But that's why we're here now. To be direct.

Dr. Sublett: As you said, we're stretched at 600. We have over 1,500 covid patients in the hospital today. "We're way out of balance there."

Michener: It's like a restaurant. If it's maxed out, you're not going to get the same service. We have all the staff we can get. There is no more. "We can't do more than that. We've been screaming that. We've been screaming that for days on end."

Michener: Chris asked what's going to keep us from becoming New York or El Paso. "A lot of us don't see anything that's going to keep us from that." Not to be an alarmist, but I don't see how we can avoid it without major changes, which aren't happening.

Hausheer: "We're going to be speaking for ourselves, directly to the public, moving forward."

That's a wrap.