MS is entering dangerous COVID phase as delta variant spreads and cases climb
As predicted, COVID-19 cases are climbing in Mississippi, the least vaccinated state in the nation, with daily new infections higher than they have been since March, Mississippi State Health Department data shows.
MSHD State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs and Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers have been warning for months that the state would see an increase in COVID cases unless more Mississippians get vaccinated.
COVID has entered a new phase with spread of the highly contagious delta variant, first identified in India. The unvaccinated, including children, are at greatest risk of contracting the variant, prompting fears about more spread when schools reopen.
Dobbs reported earlier this week that seven children with COVID were hospitalized in intensive care, with two on ventilators. Earlier, Dobbs and the MSDH recommended that immune-compromised, elderly and unvaccinated Mississippians follow stricter COVID protocols.
A total of 1,005,648 have been fully vaccinated against COVID, with all residents aged 12 and older eligible for vaccines and supplies plentiful. In South Mississippi, less than 30% of the population in each of the six counties has been vaccinated. Statewide, 33.9% of Mississippians are fully vaccinated.
“Delta variant surging across Mississippi,” Dobbs tweeted Friday morning. “and hospitals increasingly stressed.”
Antibody treatment recommended
In his tweet, Dobbs recommended monoclonal antibody treatment as a way to avoid death and hospitalization for those stricken with COVID. He included a link to medical centers offering the treatment, including Memorial Hospital and Singing River Health System in South Mississippi.
The infusion treatment of immune molecules, produced in laboratories, mimics the body’s natural immune response to the virus, lessening symptoms. It is recommended for recently diagnosed COVID patients at high risk for severe illness, according to Stanford Medicine and other medical professionals.
COVID cases on MS Coast
The MSDH on Friday reported 534 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 326,804 cases since the pandemic began and 7,465 total deaths. In addition, 39 long-term care facilities are experiencing outbreaks.
Of the six South Mississippi counties, only George County reported no new cases. Daily cases in the other five counties increased by a total of 89. Only one county, Pearl River, reported a new death Friday.
Current case totals and deaths for South Mississippi are listed below:
- George: 2,560 cases, 51 deaths.
- Hancock: 3,963 cases, 88 deaths.
- Harrison: 18,989 cases, 322 deaths.
- Jackson: 13,992 cases, 251 deaths.
- Pearl River: 4,787 cases, 149 deaths.
- Stone: 1,983 cases, 36 deaths.
This story was originally published July 16, 2021 at 1:33 PM.
