OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – After a record shattering day of new COVID-19 cases in Oklahoma, health leaders say you’ll need to start quarantining if you plan to gather with your family for Thanksgiving.
An Oklahoma family with a loved one in the hospital is urging people to take the warning seriously.
“We don’t know if she has 10 percent chance to live or a 50 percent chance to live,” Lynn Cronemiller said.
Grim questions linger for Lynn Cronemiller as his wife, Kathy, still suffers from complications due to COVID-19.
“She has got to come out of it,” Cronemiller said. “She is strong.”
KFOR met up with Lynn Cronemiller last month. Kathy, 64, was forced to find a COVID bed in Fort Worth, Texas, after all Oklahoma hospitals were at capacity.
Thirty days later, Kathy is still in a Texas hospital, but now she is COVID-19-free.
However, the damage already done is life-threatening.
“It’s like a black tunnel,” Cronemiller said. “We are looking down it and it’s horrible.”
Kathy is still in a coma with tubes in her chest. Both of her lungs collapsed.
Doctors tell Kathy’s family they are going to try to transfer her to a long-term care facility.
“She may not end up in Oklahoma,” Cronemiller said. “She may end up in Arizona, for all I know.”
Thursday, metro hospitals moved into Tier Three, according to the state’s surge plan.
“We should be very concerned here in Oklahoma,” Dr. George Monks said.
Dr. George Monks, head of the Oklahoma Medical Association, tells KFOR he’s worried with Thanksgiving around the corner.
“Try no contact with others 14 days before, but I do know that’s hard to do,” Dr. Monks said. “Try to limit your gathering to 10 or fewer. Try to avoid buffet style meals.”
Lynn said he has a message of his own he wanted to share.
“It’s everywhere and they don’t believe it,” Cronemiller said. “There won’t be any Thanksgiving in our house.”
The Tier 3 hospital plan allows hospitals to cancel or limit surgeries, and it also gives Gov. Kevin Stitt the opportunity to issue a catastrophic health emergency.
KFOR reached out to the Governor’s Office to ask if he is planning on signing an Executive Order. A spokesperson tells us “no”.
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