The Delta variant is now making up nearly all new COVID-19 transmission across Mississippi. At a press conference yesterday, health officials described how the more contagious variant combined with increased summer activities and low vaccination rates explains the current wave. State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs warns Mississippians of the difficult days ahead.
"Y'all, we're going to have a rough few weeks. Delta is hitting us very strongly," said Dobbs.
"We anticipate that we're going to continue to put additional pressure on the state's healthcare system. Currently there are 13 hospitals in the state of Mississippi that have zero ICU beds. And a significantly higher number than that have less than 10% availability."
More than 400 Mississippians are hospitalized with COVID-19. One hundred and thirty eight people are in ICU and 57 people are on life support. Dobbs says more than 90% of new cases and deaths are in unvaccinated Mississippians.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dan Edney says he hopes hospitals will find a way to work together and share the incoming load of COVID-19 patients.
"We just don't need to go through this again," said Edney.
"I had an employee in clinic who teared up and told me I can't go through this again and we have an answer so that we don't have to go through these killing times again. And, that's vaccinations."
A little more than 30% of Mississippians are vaccinated. The state is among the least vaccinated in the nation.
