PHILADELPHIA, Miss.–The pandemic may be worse than it has ever been in Mississippi, according to numbers released by the state Dept. of Health. More than 4,000 cases were reported Wednesday, with 36 more people dead from the virus.
That number includes two people in Holmes County and another person in Scott County.
But, monocolonal antibodies could save your life if you get COVID. The treatment could even keep you from going to the hospital, said state health officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs.
“We want folks who get COVID to seek out and talk to their doctors about getting monoclonal antibodies. It reduces hospitalization (by) 80 to 90 percent,” said Dobbs in a Wednesday news conference. “It’s immediately beneficial and it can safe your life today if you get COVID.”
You can get those antibodies under an emergency order from the state Dept. of Health, if you are 65 or older, obese, pregnant, living with chronic kidney disease, diabetes, heart disease or immunosuppressive diseases, sickle cell disease, and other conditions.
Dobbs said he does not expect the Delta variant to subside any time soon.
“Without a doubt we have surpassed our previous peaks by a significant margin and we plan to see that continue,” he said. He added that more staff is needed because Mississippi’s health care workers, as a whole, are exhausted.
