By: Barry Mangold
OKLAHOMA CITY -
An Oklahoma City hospital dedicated to COVID-19 patients has begun taking patients without the virus as stress on health care workers has eased in recent months.
On January 5, the number of hospital patients with the virus peaked in Oklahoma at 1,994. After several weeks of decline, the state health department on Tuesday reported 457 hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
Dr. Julie Watson, Chief Medical Officer at Integris Health, said the decline is “remarkable and what we’ve all been hoping for, waiting for, praying for.”
At the Portland Ave. facility and elsewhere, Integris officials morphed areas to expand capacity for COVID patients since the start of the pandemic. Watson said many of those changes have been rolled back.