Top health expert ‘very concerned’ MS is about to have second COVID-19 surge
All the coronavirus indicators are going in the wrong direction in Mississippi, Dr. Thomas Dobbs said Monday.
“The last time we saw that was before the summer surge,” the state health officer said via Zoom at an afternoon press conference. Dobbs said he is “very concerned” this could be the start of another phase of the pandemic.
Six major hospitals in the state have no more capacity in their intensive care units, he said. None of those hospitals are in South Mississippi.
Dobbs said his network of health professional from around the state are telling him more people are coming into emergency rooms with COVID-19 symptoms and hospitals are filling up.
“I do think we’re on the front end of something that could be bad,” he said.
When asked what’s leading to the new increasing spread, Dobbs and state epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers said numbers are still high among young people, but it’s overall community transmission that’s the problem.
School classrooms haven’t led to any big outbreaks, and Dobbs said “going to in-person class can be done quite safely.” However, extracurricular activities are causing more issues, and Byers said there’s been “a number of clusters associated with the football teams.”
The numbers also started to creep up even before Gov. Tate Reeves’s latest executive order on Sept. 30 did away with the mask requirement in Mississippi. But “it certainly could start being part of the problem,” Dobbs said.
Mississippi can turn around the escalating numbers. “It’s not that hard,” he said.
Mississippians just have to have patience and follow the measures that reduced the numbers after the spike this summer — wear masks, social distance and keep to small groups.
Churches and businesses may under the false impression that they are no longer empowered to ask people to wear masks, Dobbs said, and he encouraged them to do it for the safety of parishioners and employees.
“Not a bad idea to have local mask ordinances,” he said, as in Hattiesburg. Dobbs mentioned Forest and Lamar counties as seeing “pretty significant increases over the past week.”
On whether Mississippi will ever have another state mask mandate, Dobbs said, “Of course, the governor is the boss of all that.”
Masks will help keep people from getting the flu, he said, keep schools open and businesses operating.
“It’s just mind-boggling why it’s become such an unnecessary controversy,” he said.
Rapid tests coming to drive-thru sites across MS
Starting Monday, Mississippi State Department of Health will be using rapid testing kits from the federal government in Jackson and in northern counties in the state.
A nasal sample will be taken and the results are ready in 15 minutes, he said.
By next week, the rapid tests should be available at drive-up testing sites statewide.
Students and teachers in kindergarten through grade 12 will be the priority for the tests.
Free masks with face shields available for high-risk voters
Free face masks with eye shields that offer more protection will be distributed before the upcoming presidential election so high-risk voters can use them at the polls, he said.
The masks will be offered at the drive-thru testing sites beginning Wednesday to voters over age 65 or those with diabetes, obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, lung disease, weakened immune systems and other risk factors.
“You can come by and just pic up a mask if you have any of these conditions,” he said.
Flu shots needed
The Centers for Disease Control advises everyone over age six months to get a flu shot.
Dobbs said it’s best to aim to get a shot by the end of October, but the most important thing is getting one at all.
Coronavirus changes for Halloween
Halloween — is “much on our mind,” he said. In addition to the guidance from the CDC, he said the MSDH probably will issue guidelines that encourage “much more modest Halloween plans.”
The Mississippi chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics on Monday sent out safety tips for trick-or-treating:
- Everyone age two years and up should wear a face covering, keep six feet distance where possible, and frequently wash hands or use hand sanitizer. Remember, costume masks are not a substitute for a snugly-fitting cloth covering of the nose and mouth
- Limit large gatherings. Celebrate with your family. For instance, you can use video chat to show-off costumes.Create new traditions such as a spooky movie night, pumpkin decorating, or creating Halloween treats.
- Plan to attend fun outdoor community events such as at a park, arboretum, or zoo. Try to stay away from crowds of people and follow distancing rules even when outdoors. Indoor events such as haunted houses may not be safe; however, outdoor events such as a corn maze or haunted forest are much safer.
- Get your flu shot now.
- Consider pre-packaging baggies of treats to hand out or leave at your doorstep to minimize contact.
- Station yourself at the end of the driveway or sidewalk to encourage social distancing.
- Anticipate doorbell ringers to reduce the “trick or treat!’ exclamation.
- Parents consider restricting the number of homes you visit.
- Encourage masks for door-answerers as well as doorbell ringers.
- Please don’t go out if you or your child is sick.
- Encourage social distancing while having fun with a “Candy-Chute” How to build: here
This story was originally published October 12, 2020 at 5:14 PM.
