Despite Waning Delta Wave, Mississippi ICU Capacity Still 'Effectively Zero'
While the delta wave has declined significantly in Mississippi, the state’s intensive-care units are still full due to weeks of sky-high viral transmission. Public-health officials met with the press on Thursday to acknowledge the continuing severity of the pandemic, reflecting on the long-term consequences of the pandemic, from diabetes to death.
State Epidemiologist Paul Byers warned that, although Mississippi’s overall situation is improving, the condition of hospitals in the Magnolia State was still poor. “When you look at our numbers for folks on the ventilator, or who are in the ICU for COVID, we’re seeing some decreases, but we’re still at overall very high levels,” Byers said.
Mississippi State Department of Health’s Director of Health Protection Jim Craig estimated intensive-care unit capacity to remain “effectively zero,” with 151 patients across the state awaiting a permanent placement in another hospital setting. Craig explained that 71 of those patients are in need of an ICU bed. Only six of the 71 waiting for beds as of Thursday morning were COVID-19 patients. All hospitalized Mississippians are struggling with the shortages resulting from the COVID-19 surge, even those without the virus.
Today, MSDH announced 2,321 new cases of COVID-19 and 49 deaths. Hospitalizations dropped below 1,000 for the first time since rising above that number during the delta surge. COVID-19 patients in the state’s ICU’s are down to 350 from delta peaks of nearly 500, although that number is still comparable to the worst days of the winter surge.
As a result, Mississippi’s hospital system remains under a system-of-care order, which severely restricts elective surgeries and centralizes patient transfers. Staffing remains the key issue restricting hospital capacity. “Efforts through our federal partners to increase ICU staffing capacity for the care of the COVID patients continue,” Craig said on Thursday.
Read more: https://www.mississippifreepress.org/16009/despite-waning-delta-wave-mississippi-icu-capacity-still-effectively-zero/
= new reply since forum marked as read
Magat willful ignorance, football, fall festivals upcoming...
