Many of the people who are hospitalized with the coronavirus at the University of Mississippi Medical Center are in young age groups and are generally considered healthy according to hospital officials. Within two weeks coronavirus hospitalizations have doubled and around 90 percent of those hospitalized are unvaccinated, according to Dr. LouAnn Woodward, Associate Vice Chancellor at UMMC. She says it was already difficult to deal with a high volume of patients during the winter surge, but now they must face it with staffing shortages and employees contacting the disease themselves.
“The other thing that is different is the level of fatigue that people who are healthcare workers have. People are burnt out, they are tired, they are fatigued. And it is almost impossible to put into words the frustration they feel, that we all feel, and the disappointment that here we are again,” says Dr. Woodward.
Last week, the state health officer put out an order designed to prevent strain on the state's largest hospitals by limiting the ability to transfer patients. Jonathan Wilson, Chief Administrative Officer at the medical center, says on Wednesday morning there were only 6 intensive care hospital beds available throughout the entire state.
“The situation is getting dire not just here at the medical center, but the entire state. Our neighboring states are having similar situations. We’re doing the best we can from a state standpoint to try to distribute patients to ensure healthcare as we know it is delivered. But we aren’t on the cusp of this. We know we aren’t at the crest of this wave. And it’s bad, but it’s probably going to get a little worse,” says Wilson.
Hospital officials say they have also seen a higher rate of child coronavirus hospitalizations than at any other point during the pandemic.
