“We know that we have some weeks of severe stress ahead of us, and the state health officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs stated during Friday’s press conference. Around 73% of the positive state tests are currently being sequenced for omicron infection. Paul Byers, state epidemiologist, stated that although an omicron infection can cause milder symptoms than the delta variant, it will lead to more hospitalizations and deaths over the next few weeks due to the increased number of cases. The state receives very few antiviral and monoclonal antibodies. This will only make the problem worse. Only 11 ICU beds had been available in the state’s level 1 and 2 hospitals as of Friday. The number of COVID-19-related patients in the state’s level one and two hospitals has increased by 64%, while the number of ventilator-dependent patients has increased by 50%. Due to a lack of staffable, open beds, some Mississippi patients had to be moved out of the state. Officials say that if this epidemic of infections overwhelms hospitals like the delta, it is unlikely that the system will be supported by field hospitals and travel nurses who were there during the wave. Jim Craig, Senior Deputy Director of MSDH’s Office of Health Protection said, “I don’t know that [we] will be able to draw the kind of staffing levels we saw in delta from any part of the country right now including some of the federal resources.” Dobbs also advised Mississippians not to go to overcrowded emergency rooms to receive COVID-19 testing. Many people have visited the ER to test in recent weeks because they couldn’t get an at-home test, or to schedule one at a testing site or clinic during the holidays. Dobbs stated that while we will do our best from a health department standpoint, emergency rooms are only for emergencies. The state will be receiving 50,000 more rapid antigen testing next week and will expand the number of testing locations and slots as necessary. The majority of cases Mississippi is seeing in the omicron wave include younger people, with the fastest growth occurring among the 25-39 age bracket. People 65 years and older are most at risk for the most serious illness. This age group has seen the majority of January’s hospitalizations, and about 65% of January’s deaths. Despite being low in Mississippi, pediatric hospitalizations still occur. Children’s of Mississippi is the only state hospital that treats children and teens with COVID-19. As of Friday, 19 children were hospitalized. Fourteen of these patients are currently in intensive care, while two others are on ventilators. Mississippi’s vaccination rate for children and teens is lower than other states and in the same areas in neighboring states. Only 36% of children aged 12-17 are fully vaccinated and only 5% are 5-11 years old. We need to make sure that more children are fully vaccinated. Byers stated that this is what will keep children out the hospital and out the ICU. Officials from the Mississippi Health Department are urging Mississippians not to get a booster shot, but to keep up with their vaccines. Byers stated that only 2% state COVID-19-related deaths have been caused by people who had received booster shots and were fully vaccinated. Unvaccinated people are responsible for the majority of hospitalizations, and even some deaths. A booster dose of Pfizer vaccine can be obtained by anyone 12 years old and older five months after the completion of their primary regimen. Anyone 18 years old and older can receive a booster dose from Pfizer five months after their primary treatment or a Johnson & Johnson booster 2 months later. Here is how to schedule a vaccination appointment with your local health department.