‘Truly serious’ situation as Mississippi hospitals hit new record for COVID-19 patients

Published 1:07 pm Monday, November 30, 2020

Mississippi hospitals marked a new record Sunday with more confirmed COVID-19 coronavirus patients than ever before.

On Monday, the Mississippi State Department of Health reported Sunday hospitalization statistics.

The state reported 1,008 patients were hospitalized across the state with confirmed COVID-19 along with another 107 patients hospitalized with suspected COVID-19, but that had not been confirmed by test yet.

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The previous record for confirmed COVID-19 patients was set on July 30, when 989 patients filled Mississippi hospitals.

“New record in total COVID hospitalizations,” Mississippi State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs wrote on social media Monday. “And this is before an anticipated Thanksgiving acceleration. Many thanks to hospitals in maintaining adequate ICU care. This is truly serious. Protect yourselves and your family now. And we all know how.”

Rapid increases in COVID-19 cases in November have resulted in increased pressure on the state’s hospitals with a number of hospitals either at capacity or near-capacity in regular rooms and many reporting no ICU beds available.

The state’s hospital availability tracker showed only 17% of the state’s ICU beds were available Sunday, but that number can change rapidly as patients are admitted, discharged and die. The tracker showed only a single ICU bed was available in the Jackson metro area through Sunday’s numbers.