Mississippi State Health Officials Share Concerns Surrounding COVID-19 Hospitalizations

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38p-MtXEUGU

The State Health Officer is warning of the possibility of a crisis within the healthcare system if COVID-19 cases in intensive care units continue to increase.

Dr. Thomas Dobbs announced on Monday, July 20, that 40% of the beds in intensive care units throughout the state are filled by COVID-19 patients.

Dr. Dobbs also stated, that at this moment hospitals withing the state have placed elective surgeries on hold, and are prioritizing care for critically ill patients, as some hospitals begin to convert emergency rooms into intensive care unit beds.

Also sharing, that nine hospitals within the state have no intensive care beds, and that as of Monday, July 20, there is one ICU bed in the Jackson Metro Area.

“In a week or so we would anticipate – or maybe 2 weeks or so that we would exhaust our surge capacity within our healthcare system, so we’re looking at other options beyond that, but we may be in crisis standards of care if we’re within the next several weeks, if we’re not careful and what does that mean –it’s a little bit different health care system, putting people in open wards, its doubling up rooms, its housing people in places they don’t normally stay for medical care. We’re looking at all contingencies right now as far as what to do when we get to that timepoint, but if we don’t see a decrease in transmission, immediately then it’s pretty likely the healthcare system is going to be thoroughly overwhelmed,” said Dr. Thomas Dobbs, Mississippi State Health Officer.

The Mississippi State Department of Health continues to update positive COVID-19 case numbers on its website and provides reports on the number of hospital beds used by COVID-19 patients.