'A lot more tragedy on the way,' Mississippi health officer says as COVID-19 numbers rise

'All these deaths are preventable,' Dobbs says

'All these deaths are preventable,' Dobbs says

WHAT THEY ARE SEEING NOW IN MISSISSIPPI IS DISTRESSING...AND MORE IMPORTANTLY AVOIDABL..E. HEALTH LEADERS SAY WE ARE DEALING WITH RECORD BREAKING CE AS NUMBERS...HIGHER THAN AT ANY POINT IN THE PANDEMIC... THE HIGHAS CELOADS ARE FAMILIAR, BUT WHO IS BEING INFECTED AND DYING FROM E TH DELTA VARIANT OF THE VUS IR IN MISSISSIPPI IS NOT... STATE HEALTH OFFICER DR. THOMAS DOBBS SAYS E TH PATIENTS THAT HAVE FILLED ICU'S ACROSS THE STATE ARE YOUNGER...UNDER AG 50...MANY WITH NO UNDERLYING CONDITIONS...AND 97% OF THOSE CASES ARE UNVACCINATED PEOPLE. .. <FOR EVERY 100 CASES, ABOUT 7 TO 8 OF THEM ARE GONNA END UP IN THE HOSPITAL. SO EVERYDAY WE REPORT A THOUSAND CASES, WE'RE GONNA HAVE 70-80 NEW PATIENTS BEING HOSPITALIZED. UM, AND TH IS IS ON P TOOF AN ALREADY FULL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM> AS OF WEDNESDAY, THERE ARE 249 PEOPLE ON VENTILATORS FIGHTING COVI..D. DR. DOBBS SAYS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S HISTORICAL DATA SHOWS THAT ABOUT 15% PERCENT OF THOSE PEOPLE WON'T MAKE IT OUT OF THE HOSPITAL... <JUST TO BE HONEST, IT'S BEEN EXHAUSTING. I THINK WE'RE ALL EMOTIONALL SPENT. I KIND OF PERSONALLY FEEL LIKE I'M AN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROERLL AND EVERYY DA I'M WATCHING TWO AIRLINERS COLLIDE. AND I'M CONSTANTLY WARNING, WE'RE CONSTANTLY WARNING TO CHANGE COURSE AND WE NEVER > DO WITH JUST 35 PERCENT OF THE STATE'S POPULATI ON FULLY VACCINATED, HEAL TH OFFICIALS ARE TRYING TO GET MORE PEOPLE TO TAKE THEIR SHOT AND STOP UNNECESSARY SICKNESS AND DEATH FROM THE RAMPANT SPREAD OF THE VIRU.. S. DR. DOBBS TALKED ABOUT THE PROSPECT OF BOOSTER SHOTS - SAYINGHO TSE WITH AUTO-IMMUNE DISORDERS AND SIMILAR ISSUES MAY ND EE ADDITIONAL DOSES OF THE VACCINE. STATE EPEDEMEOGIST LO DR. PAUL BYERS SAID TODAY THAT WHEN PEOPLE DECIDE THAT THEY AREN'T GOING TO GET THE VACCINE...THEY ARE ACTUALLY DECIDING TO INCREASE THE RISK OF BEI NG INFECTED WITH COVID. .. NOW, DAILY IMMUNIZATIONS HAVE TRIPLED OVER THE L

'A lot more tragedy on the way,' Mississippi health officer says as COVID-19 numbers rise

'All these deaths are preventable,' Dobbs says

As the number of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths continue at record levels in Mississippi, the state's health leaders are frustrated."Just to be honest, it's exhausting. We're all kind of emotionally spent," said state Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs. "It's distressing to see what's going on and know that all these deaths are preventable."State epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers said the delta variant is causing the surge, that is even higher than the COVID-19 spike the state experienced at the peak of the pandemic."The reality is, in Mississippi, if you're infected with COVID, then you've got the delta variant," Byers said. "If you have a positive test, isolate yourself. Please limit transmission."Byers said the delta variant is so highly infectious, that for every person who has it, they could spread it to eight or nine other people. Mississippi reported its highest number of single-day cases this week, with about 3,500, Dobbs said. Byers said the state is starting to see an increase in the number of deaths, and they are younger than before -- in their 50s and younger."A lot more tragedy on the way. It's very distressing," Dobbs said. About 97% of the new cases are people who were unvaccinated, Dobbs said. "We have just now surpassed what we've seen in the worst of the winter for hospitalizations," Dobbs said. "Daily (hospital) admissions continue to climb at a staggering rate."Federal assistance is coming to Mississippi in the way of manpower, health officials said. Hospitals are experiencing staffing shortages that have left some beds unusable. The University of Mississippi Medical Center is opening a mobile 50-bed unit in the hospital's parking garage that will be manned by health care workers provided by the federal government.The state is making progress in vaccinations, but Dobbs said Mississippi still has a long way to go. "The delta variant is so contagious, leading to so much death and misery, that we really need to do everything we can to get vaccinated," Dobbs said.Byers said the COVID-19 numbers are likely to increase now that students and teachers have returned to the classrooms. "You can see that we’ve already had, with just a couple weeks of schools, 80 outbreaks from 342 school systems that reported to us," Byers said. "We're going to see outbreaks."Byers said every county in Mississippi is at high or substantial COVID-19 transmission.

JACKSON, Miss. —

As the number of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths continue at record levels in Mississippi, the state's health leaders are frustrated.

"Just to be honest, it's exhausting. We're all kind of emotionally spent," said state Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs. "It's distressing to see what's going on and know that all these deaths are preventable."

State epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers said the delta variant is causing the surge, that is even higher than the COVID-19 spike the state experienced at the peak of the pandemic.

"The reality is, in Mississippi, if you're infected with COVID, then you've got the delta variant," Byers said. "If you have a positive test, isolate yourself. Please limit transmission."

Byers said the delta variant is so highly infectious, that for every person who has it, they could spread it to eight or nine other people. Mississippi reported its highest number of single-day cases this week, with about 3,500, Dobbs said. Byers said the state is starting to see an increase in the number of deaths, and they are younger than before -- in their 50s and younger.

"A lot more tragedy on the way. It's very distressing," Dobbs said.

About 97% of the new cases are people who were unvaccinated, Dobbs said.

"We have just now surpassed what we've seen in the worst of the winter for hospitalizations," Dobbs said. "Daily (hospital) admissions continue to climb at a staggering rate."

Federal assistance is coming to Mississippi in the way of manpower, health officials said. Hospitals are experiencing staffing shortages that have left some beds unusable. The University of Mississippi Medical Center is opening a mobile 50-bed unit in the hospital's parking garage that will be manned by health care workers provided by the federal government.

The state is making progress in vaccinations, but Dobbs said Mississippi still has a long way to go.

"The delta variant is so contagious, leading to so much death and misery, that we really need to do everything we can to get vaccinated," Dobbs said.

Byers said the COVID-19 numbers are likely to increase now that students and teachers have returned to the classrooms.

"You can see that we’ve already had, with just a couple weeks of schools, 80 outbreaks from 342 school systems that reported to us," Byers said. "We're going to see outbreaks."

Byers said every county in Mississippi is at high or substantial COVID-19 transmission.

'A lot more tragedy on the way,' Mississippi health officer says as COVID-19 numbers rise

'All these deaths are preventable,' Dobbs says

TRACKING THE COVID-19 VACCINE

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