State Health Officials speak on COVID-19 concerns of Mississippians

Today, the Mississippi State Department of Health reports an additional 711 new COVID-19 cases and 22 new deaths; which now bring the state to 91,234 and 2,756 deaths. State health officer, Dr. Thomas Dobbs recently said in a briefing, cases are starting to decline.

“We had a pretty rough summer with a market increase in a number of cases, but fortunately hitting the back end of July and going through August--we saw pretty significant decline in cases,” says Dr. Dobbs.

Dr. Dobbs, along with State Epidemiologist Paul Byers gave a Q&A session on rumors and concerns regarding the COVID-19, such as masks being effective and when a vaccine will be available.

“True, they are effective. We have learned a lot about masks,” explains Dr. Dobbs. “There are studies that show in the healthcare setting, wearing a surgical mask and eye protection is very effective and we know it does a good job of slowing down superspreaders.”

When asked about a COVID-19 vaccine, Byers explained the Mississippi State Department of Health will not expose a vaccine until they're sure it’s safe. 

“We’re not going to recommend a vaccine until we know it’s safe and it works. There is going to be a number of vaccines coming down the line here,” says Byers. “They are currently going through safety trials and to determine how well they protect you against COVID-19 infection.”

Both officials say they will not release a vaccine until those trials are met. Byers recommends the MSDH website for any updates on the virus.