Dobbs warns about COVID-19 surge

State health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs says hospitals are preparing for an increase in COVID-19 patients.

Good afternoon.

Thank you all forjoining us.

We're we really appreciateyou giving us the opportunity to updateyou all on coronavirus.

Kinda where weare, where we might be going and andsome other things that are going on atthe Department of Health.

So once again,thank you for joining us.

Um, first off,I want to kick it up with sort of, Ah,kick it off with a sort of an overview.Let's talk about our case numbers.Today we reported 296 new cases on gayand zero additional deaths, butcertainly we know we're right after aweekend, we know that that thosenumbers will will tend to sag a littlebit after after the weekend.

Lastweekend, we mean last week we had apretty significant increasing thenumber of reports we received.

We dothink this represents increasedtransmission in the community.

We havesome other indicators that we've seenas well, We're seeing ongoingincreasing hospitalizations.

Um, todaywe report, um, 100.

Well, we have 145.I see you patients 69 on ventilators,and our number of of covert patientshospitalized is up to 504 which on 10 4of 2020 was 419.

So we've had asignificant increase over the course ofa week, and and today we have over theweekend.

We have six major hospitalsthat have no available.

I see youcapacity now.

We're still really earlyon in this, but we know how ittranspired through the summer.

And soit's a good time for us to startpreparing for increasing UM, increasingcases and increasing hospitalizationsover the next several weeks.

Otherthings we're seeing increasing, uh,proportion of people with covert likeillness.

That's one of our surveillancemechanisms for people coming intoclinics who have symptoms of co vid.And for the first time this week, we'reseeing increases in that.

So all theindicators are starting to turn in a,um, in an unwanted direction.

So a goodtime for us to redouble our efforts andmake sure that we're doing those simplethings that we know prevent to thetransmission coronavirus.

Whether it's,um, you know, wearing a mask, we knowhow important that is, especially whenyou're in close proximity or indoors,staying away from folks at least 6 ft,avoiding large gatherings.

And ifyou're gonna do something, you know, doit outside, preferably in small groupsand hand hygiene.

We do have a coupleof things new things to announce today.Um, starting today we are doing a freerapid testing at our community testingsites in several locations.

So at theJackson old Farmer's market testinglocation, we're offering free rapidtesting for those who who getappointments to come in and get testedappeared with a PCR also throughout theweek will be doing them in some of thelocations in northeast Mississippi.

Sotoday will be in Clay County tomorrow,on Tuesday in Calhoun County, Wednesdayin Webster County, Thursday in WinstonCounty and Friday in Lee County.

Sothis week, piece of the locations thatwe're gonna be offering free, rapidtested our at our drive to clinics inMississippi.

Just repeat it, um, in inHeinz County at the old Farmer's Marketon Ben Today, Clay County Tomorrow,Calhoun, Wednesday, Webster Thursday,Winston and Friday, Lee County.

This isour first implementation of using therapid tests that we received from thefederal government thes air the by nextnow, um, kids.

And I'll just show youWe have them here and I'm not gonna doit.

But this is the card test you cansee here and you get a nasal sample anduse some chemicals and you leave it inthere for 15 minutes.

It'll give you anindicator of whether it's positive ornegative.

Um, we've had a chance to usequite a few of these, and we'll bereporting out on our results as we gothrough this process.

We anticipatenext week we'll be offering, uh, thisfree rapid testing at all of ourcommunity drive through testinglocations.

But for this week, we'rerolling it out only in those locations.As far as the utilization of theserapid test kits, Um, certainly we'refollowing, um, the governor'sprerogative to really focus on K 12 andwe'll make sure it's available forindividuals in K 12 working ondistribution and utilization plan.

Butsurely, uh, we will continue to offerit at the drive thru locations.

And asyou're well aware, uh, K 12 studentsand teachers are priority testingindividuals at those drive through, sowe encourage everyone to take advantageof that In addition, one of our otherpriority groups is for older folks andand long term care settings that don'talready have access to rapid regulartesting.

So we're in the process ofdeveloping deployment plans so that wecontest that, um uh, and so the otherthing that we need thio talk about is,umuh is offering free masks and shields.So for people who are gonna voting, weknow that there will be vulnerablepeople who will be going to the pollsand to provide some added protection.We will be giving away, um, surgicalmasks, you know, a little bit morehealth care quality along with a faceshield so that people are voting.

Ifyou have a chronic medical condition orover 65 we will have free, um maskswith a face shield available for U.

S.So that you can vote and be safer inyour voting process.

The individualsthat will be eligible to receive thefree mask will be those over 65 yearsof age.

Um, those with diabetes, um,hypertension, a cardiovascular disease,renal failure, obesity, weakened immunesystem or chronic lung disease, thesair conditions.

We know that increasethe risk of severe illness or deathfrom coronavirus.

So if you have any ofthese conditions, um, and certainlyrestated 65 or older, please come in,we will have them at the drive thrulocations.

Um, for the various placeswhere we're doing the drive throughtesting, you can come by and just pickup a mask if you have any of theseconditions.

So please look on ourwebsite, find locations and go in toreceive receive your mask.

Um, theother thing this want to talk aboutreal quickly certainly were Halloweenas much on our mind, and we're stillcontinue to look at it.

CDC does havesome guidance that is available.Encourage you to look at that is forcertain and then also, the AmericanAcademy of Pediatrics has someguidelines.

I think there's a goodstarting documents.

We will alsoprobably put out something thatcomplements these guidelines, butcertainly the same principles that aresafe for other settings.

We're gonna besafe in the Halloween setting,maintaining distance, wearing a mask.I'm keeping small groups certainlywould encourage people that have muchmore modest Halloween plans.

Along withthe CDC guidelines, than we might inprevious years.

And certainly very.It's very okay to not do a traditionalsort of trick or treating sort ofscenario anyway, because we know therisk is out there, especially for kidswho live with people who might be in avulnerable age group or vulnerable withchronic medical conditions andcertainly with the fair going on.Encourage everyone to be careful andsafe hand hygiene and to wear masks asmuch as possible throughout their stayat the fair.

Um, and then the only lastthing is it's time to get your flu shotif you haven't had one yet.

Um, it'svery important for people to go aheadand get the flu shot.

CDC recommends,uh, the influenza vaccine for everyone,essentially over six months of age andby the end of October is kind of likethe deadline for getting it in time,getting ready for the flu season.

So goahead, do it.

Not that you can't get itlater, but we do strongly encouragepeople to go ahead and get the fluvaccine.

Um, I'm gonna go ahead, Yeah,and also I want to see if if Dr buyershad wanted to add anything.

Dr. Buyers,if you wanna meet yourself.

Good.Hey, Thank you, Dr Dobbs.

Um, yeah,Just just to remind folks that, youknow, one of the things that we talkedabout, as as we move through the summermonths, was that we were beginning tosee more cases in the younger agegroups, especially in the in thecollege age, kids and younger.

And Ijust want to remind everybody that weare also seeing a lot of cases in theolder groups, especially thoseindividuals aged 50 to 64 years of ageon dso.

You know, we don't want you tofocus on on an age group and think thatif you're in one particular age groupthat you're more protected unlesslikely to become infected because wehaven't seen a lot of infections inthat group.

I think we just need Thio.We need to stay the course across theboard.

We know that a lot of themeasures that we've put in place overthe summer work we really drove ourcase numbers down with use simplethings, like using a mask and stayingmore than 6 ft apart, limiting yourgatherings and I think if we continueto do things like that, we're gonna,you know, waken bend that curve backdown, uh, toe where we want it and moremanageable to not only limit the numberof cases but also to protect our healthcare capacity and limit the impact onthose vulnerable individuals,especially in long term care setting.Yes.

So obviously, we have a go andstart answering some questions.

Now wesee one from Anita Lee, and I'll justread it out from a public health.

Uh,epidemiological perspective.

Whataccounts for increased transmission andwhere the hot spots?

Um, you know, Ithink some of it's not surprising we'restill sitting in younger folks.

That'snot remotely, um, surprising.

We knowthat the younger age group is gonna bea high risk, certainly more sociabletype behaviors.

It's social events thattend to be our biggest vulnerability.We're also seeing, you know, aroundweddings and and that sort of thing.

Soany time you're social and let yourguard down, we're seeing more and morecases.

There are some locations I knowthat forced in Lamar are seeing prettysignificant increases over the pastweek and all that stuff on our websiteon our county profile and certainlywant you toe Look at those things.

AndDr buyers, would you like to addsomething on what you see going on withthe different transmission trends?

Ithink what we're seeing is a number ofcounties throughout the state wherewe're starting to see increases or arestarting to see them on the plus sideof those numbers of cases.

If we lookover, ah, one week and in two weektrend and I think that's just anotherindicator that we're also starting tosee community transmission not all ofthe cases that we're seeing nowunnecessarily tied thio um, event or acluster or an outbreak that in fact,we're starting to see, um, you know,the same type of transmission we sawbefore.

We are seeing, you know, somesome isolated, um, clusters stillaround colleges and universities.

Andcertainly, you know, we've worked withK 12 schools throughout the statearound, um, a number of clusters andoutbreaks that have occurred indifferent settings within the schools.And so, you know, I think we're justwe're just seeing, uh, broadercommunity transmission.

And when we seethat we start Thio, identify moreclusters associated with that.I see another question.

A czar numbersfrom Melissa as our numbers are slowlycreeping up.

Is this a direct effect ofthe statewide mask mandate?

No longerbeing in effect.

You know, we startedseeing, uh, numbers starting to creepup before really, there would have beena potential impact from the maskmandate.

I will say, though, that itcertainly could be starting, uh, bepart of the problem As time goesforward.

Um, you know, I will say,Personally, I've been a little bitdisappointed just hearing from churchesand businesses that they feel like theyno longer empowered toe, have theirmembers or visitors wear masks, and, umand and I think that does increaserisks, Unfortunately, I mean, there area lot of elements to it, you know?Certainly we all have our individualchoices, but as organizations,religious or otherwise, certainly wouldencourage you guys toe, do it for thesafety of your prisoners or youremployees.

Um, and certainly somegroups still need to wear masks.

Um,you know, in some places, we're doingpretty well in some places were not sojust really encourage everybody to doit?

Um, certainly, no, that there's Wemay head back to having more and moremandatory masks if we can't do itvoluntarily.

So if we could do thingsvoluntarily, I think that just makes somuch, much more sense,you guys.

Yeah.

And another questionYou mentioned six hospitals that I seeyou capacity.

Can you tell whichhospitals?

I don't have it in front ofme.

But, you know, on our website, wedo on a daily basis, So please feelfree to go there and look and see whichhospitals have, um, capacity or runningtight.

I think is just more of a newindicator that we are starting to seesome increase hospitalizations.

AndI'll just tell you, um, I do have sortof, like also a network of people justkind of keep me informed what they'reseeing in the E.

R s and the hospitalsand they're all over the weekend weretelling me, Hey, it's starting to creepup.

We're getting busy.

We don't havespace.

We're seeing more patients showup in the ER with Kobe like symptoms.So I do think we're on the front end ofsomething that could be bad.

Um,another question from Kobe Vance.

Uh,this summer, before the statewidemandate, counties were closelymonitored and mandates were issuedbased on this counties by countynumbers.

Is this the best way to pushthe mask mandate now, or would it bemore beneficial to go directly back tostatewide?

Um, you know, I'm not surethere's, Ah, there are a lot ofelements that go into that.

I suspectthat more targeted might be the waythat we would look at it again.

I mean,of course, you know, the governor isthe boss, all that, but we'll try tomake sure he has the best informationavailable to make the best decisions onunderstanding sometimes the mindset offolks and how how they could best react.We just really want everybody to wear amask in public for yourself and alsofor the people you love.

It's, um it'sreally kind of baffling why it's such abig deal.

It's such an easy thing, andit adds, it adds benefit to our safety,allows us to keep schools open, allowsus to keep hospitals from overflowing,allows us to visit people in nursinghomes.

Um, it's it's just mind bogglingwhy it's become such a unnecessarycontroversy.

And I would also say, DrDobbs that you know, counties andmunicipalities, um don't need to waitfor for a specific mandate you canelect is an individual to go ahead andwear your mask.

And that's what we needfolks to be doing.Um, and then from Erica Hensley, have aquestion.

Can you remind us aboutrequirements for school reporting ourschools still required to report them?Sth per your orders.

And what are theconsequences for schools that don'tstill seems to be confusion on somecertain schools that don't report?

Um,yeah, I know it is required to report.There have been some that have not beenable to report regularly.

Some of themhave just gotten behind and certainlywill continue to work with those guys.And, um, you know, we're, uh some ofthe schools haven't really gotten onboard yet.

We're gonna see what wecould do to support that.

I mean, it'sa it's a public health order, and bystatute, it actually, um, has a fineand, um, you know, um, and can even beconsidered, you know, a significantcrime.

But of course, we want to bemore collaborative and make sure thatpeople understand the benefit of it andwork.

Find Barry, understand thebarriers so that we can work with themto under kind of overcome those.

And,you know, we have teams in all parts ofthe state that are designated toe workwith this goals.

And and, you know, wedo school outreach through our teams.Thio do not only encourage reporting,but Thio help facilitate that reportingand, uh, help with an understanding ofwhat needs to be reported in time.And then we have a question from aElissa.

Uh, listen, as you, umuh, as we know minorities, includingAfrican Americans, Latinos have beendisproportionately impacted by cove.

Itcan you talk about the healthDepartment's outreach efforts to thesecommunities with either healtheducation campaigns were testing.

Yeah.You know, we've been very active, andcertainly from early in March, when werealized that, uh, that it wasn'treally affecting the people we weremost concerned about.

It was hittingAfrican Americans and Hispanic folks,and a native Americans do, andcertainly we've worked very closelywith leaders from from all those thosecommunities.

Um, we do have a robusthealth equity response.

And actually,there's a whole branch of our responsethat's devoted to health equity.

Under,uh, Dr Victor Sutton and his group.He's done fantastic workforce withJackson heart study and other outreachefforts.

Um, yeah.

We've had twoseparate media campaigns directedtowards African Americans andvulnerable groups.

We've been workingwith, um, Hispanic groups.

Um, uh,faith based communities.

Um uh, wholelot.

We've offered masks.

Andi alsotesting specifically, uh, how theaffected groups and as part of ourrapid testing initiative, we willanticipate that will make sure thatpart of our focus is gonna be in, um,in disparity communities or minoritycommunities.

And that will also extendto our vaccination outreach effort.

Um,encourage you look at our stuff.

Youknow, the Jackson Heart study is partof the Department of Health, andthey've done some some cool stuff also.Um, another question is from Alex Rosehere.

Why did testing numbers move to aweekly basis?

Will become more frequentany point, you know, we get those inbig lumps.

I mean, we get him, like10,000 on Monday and then none for twodays and 20,000 on Thursday.

It's toolumpy, and it really didn't make anysense.

Toe try, toe.

Push it out everyday.

Um, we're not planning onreleasing it more than weekly.

I willsay to that, You know, this is one ofthose things that doesn't give usmeaningful data to share with you on adaily basis, because it doesn't give meinformation, but it does.

Pull neededresource is away from other valuablereporting that we could do kinda likethese county profiles.

I think thosethings are so much more valuable or thehospital profiles than us to voting.Resource is toe some reporting thingthat really on a day to day basis isreally just not doesn't give you anyuseful information.

Paul, Did you wantanything to that?

No, I think you'reright on with that.

And and we werejust seeing somebody wide variations inthe in the daily numbers that we wouldactually receive from from reportersthat it just it just makes more sensefor us.

Thio a zoo, A weekly report.We do have another question is.

What doyou think about Lamar County sendingall pre K and fifth graders back toschool without options for virtualclasses.

You know, Um, certainly havingvirtual option is a great benefit.

Um,I'm not sure what their situation is.Specifically, I do know that some ofthe school systems had just really sucha small number of kids doing virtual.It seemed like it was not really, um,much bang for your buck.

And I don'tknow if there's an educational issuewith that.

Maybe some they're worriedabout some disparity?

No, but on theschool situation, I would like to saythat going the in person class can bedone quite safely.

And as we look atour outbreaks in our different cases,we've seen, um, in the structuredclassroom setting where kids werewearing masks.

That seems to be a verysafe environment, especially if you canseparate about 6 ft or more.

Um, if welook at unstructured settings, whetherit's, um, athletics or some otherextracurricular activity andan socialstuff, absolutely.

Those air were ourgreatest risks are So I think it's goodfor us to really keep keep in mind oureducation mission, Um, as a state,whether your public private school, Um,because, you know, that's really whatwe can do most safely.

And in some ways,we may be undermining our educationmission by an over emphasis onathletics and some other things.

Paul,anything you want to add to that,um, from Kobe Vance.

Do you believethis could be the start of a secondwave of the coronavirus here inMississippi?

And if so, do youanticipate being worse or better thanwhat we had this summer?

Um, yeah, I'mactually very concerned that this iswe're going into a phase.

I mean, it'skind of like reading the stock market.Sometimes you don't really know what'sgonna happen, but, um, but we do havesome indicators, right?

And all theindicators are looking in the wrongdirection.

We have hospitalizations,air up cases, air up.

Deaths are notreally up so much.

Um, but we alwaysknow that lags on.

Do we know that ourcode with, like, illness indicators airup?

So, um, the last time we saw, thatwas before the summer surge.

So it is aworrisome indicator.

Um, but it doesn'tmean we can't turn it around.

It's justa matter of what we choose to do andhopefully will choose to do the rightstuff because it's not that hard.

Wejust have to have a little bit ofpatience and just and just restrictsome of the things we do.Um, can you walk us through whatsomeone could expect to experience withrapid testing when they're at acommunity testing site?

Yeah, you bet.So, um, if someone wants to get a rapidtest, um, please go onto our websiteand look at the testing location, andthen you it will take you to a portalwhere you can either get an appointmenton by phone or you can do it online,and then it will ask you some symptoms.Right now, you know, we're forcommunity testing, Really?

PrioritizingK 12 college.

Uh, childcare.

Anybodywho's been exposed or think you mightbe in exposed and symptoms, Um, andthen, if you if you come in to get atest, um, what you'll do, you'll gothrough the drive through, and youdon't have to get a rapid.

Um, youcould just get a you could just get aPCR if you prefer it.

But we have therapid available and we'd like to giveyou the rapid.

And then we do need thePCR for certain.

And so, um, and thenyou would get your test.

It's gonna bein the front of the nose.

It's not thedeep one.

It just kinda in the front.And I think I did.

Maybe personally, Idid five or six of them today, and andpeople don't really mind it, Um, andthen within 15 minutes, you'll know theresults of the rapid.

What are initialexperience has been is if someone doeshave symptoms on, they have coronavirus.It looks like it works pretty well.

Wehave had some people who were exposedbut not symptomatic, and they had anegative rapid in a positive PCR.

Sowe're still working out our algorithmswhen it when it's most useful to usethe rapid test, this rapid card andit's almost certainly going to be forpeople who have symptoms. And then youwait for 15 minutes and you get yourresult, and then we'll give you a pieceof paper that says you're positive ornegative, and if you're positive willgive you instructions about what to do.Um, and then later on, you can get yourP C R.

Results like normal through thethrough the mechanism to explain at thedrive through.Okay.

Um, Michaela Morris, What kind ofrapid test with best HB using and whathas been the false negative rate.

Um,we're gonna be using these bionics hardwork.

I put it, uh, we're gonna usingthe been ax.

Now.

Rapid an urgent cardright here.

Um, now and as far as thefalse negative rate, Um, uh huh.

Rightnow, um, we don't have enough data tospeak.

Um, speak to it.

But we justknow that it it could be substantial onpeople who don't have symptoms. Andthat's why we're gonna collect moreinformation and continue to getinformation from other other partnersand federal sources.Um, is there a current treatment forcove in 19 therapeutic or antiviral?That has proven to be more effectivethan others in Mississippi.

I don'tknow about Mississippi specifically,but there is some growing evidence thatremedies severe actually works quitewell.

If you treat people early in theillness, um, once the auctionrequirement is there.

So I think thatone looks pretty strong.

And then alsothe use of steroids, especially decks.A method zone for people who are at, um,a severe stage of illness.

Not early on.Um, it actually might be harmful earlyon, But once people start getting veryill and that sort of secondaryinflammatory phase, that's very useful.Those are the things that have beenshown to work.

There's some otherthings, you know, The Regeneron stuffwill be looking at that.

I mean, that'scertainly under investigation.

I don'tknow that anyone taking it inMississippi andan There still is noevidence that, uh, Dr Corcoran doesn'tseem to show any benefit.

And, you know,I think the convalescent plasma piecesstill sort of unknown.Um, Lauren Walk.

Um, can we get a photosent out of that mask and shield?

Yes,you bet.

Absolutely.

So I'm gonna giveit toe my communications director andhave her send send you guys a copy.

Andhere here's a picture of it again.

I'llback up.

Maybe so.

It's not quite so.So forgive the glare.

There you go.Uh, yeah, sure, sure.

Um, soyeah.

So we'll do that.Are there some clinical trials ofcertain?

Melissa, Are there someclinical trials going on here inMississippi?

And how are they faring?There are some clinical trials going onMississippi in Hattiesburg through theHattiesburg clinic.

And I think forgeneral together, they are doing theMadonna vaccine.

And certainly, if youwanna be involved, would wouldencourage you to call them.

I dobelieve, um, see, maybe part of a trialsoon.

I haven't.

I've heard somerumblings about it, but I haven't heardany announcements.

Um, but those arethe only two have heard about, but I doknow the Hattiesburg one is operational,and I don't know how they're faring.You know, that stuff is really sort of,you know, tight top secret that keepthe information to themselves so thatthey don't get any any interference oror bias