The Mississippi State Department of Health reported the state’s first case of infant death due to COVID. The death of this baby under 12 months has increased the number of pediatric COVID deaths in the state in the past six weeks to four weeks.
This means that in the past six weeks, more children in Mississippi died of COVID than in the first 17 months of the pandemic. Three children under the age of 18 died in the initial period. Total number of deaths from COVID among people under 18 in the state It is currently seven.
The state also announced that the number of unvaccinated pregnant women infected with the new crown virus has reached 72 fetal deaths, of which 8 pregnant women died of the virus.
According to the Associated Press, at a news conference on Wednesday, the state health official, Dr. Thomas Dobbs, said that 72 unvaccinated pregnant women have been identified as fetal deaths related to COVID.
Dobbs said that in addition to the 72 fetal deaths (excluding miscarriages under 20 weeks), there are 8 pregnant women in the state who have died of the new coronavirus in the past 4 weeks.
Dobbs said: “We do know that COVID is especially problematic and dangerous for pregnant women.” “This is a real tragedy.”
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Said that compared with non-pregnant women, pregnant and recently pregnant women have a higher risk of serious illness from COVID. This increased risk includes the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.
The threat of COVID to pregnant women and their unborn children, And baby As part of its new threat monitoring program for the Mothers and Infants Network (SET-NET), the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is currently monitoring babies under 6 months of age.
The CDC’s recommendations for pregnant women are the same for all vulnerable people: get vaccinated, wear a mask, maintain a six-foot social distance, wash hands regularly, and monitor symptoms.
Dr. Paul Byers, an epidemiologist from Mississippi, said at a press conference: “Sadly, the vast majority of cases and hospitalized cases we see occurred in unvaccinated people. Remember, we have Children under the age of 12 are not eligible for vaccinations.” Mississippi Free Press reported.
“So it’s important for us to keep these Child is safe As much as possible. Of course, vaccinating these adults and eligible family members is one of the best ways to ensure the safety of children. “
Mississippi is currently tied with Wyoming and Alabama in terms of states with the lowest vaccinations among U.S. residents. According to statistics, in all three states, 40% of the population has received two doses of COVID vaccine. New York Times COVID tracker.
The state’s COVID hospitalization rate remains high, with an average of approximately 1,500 Mississippi hospitalized every day. In terms of mortality, the state is still the second highest state in the United States, with an average of 42 deaths per day, which is about 1.4 deaths per 100,000 people.
only Florida In terms of the number of deaths caused by COVID, Florida is ahead of Mississippi, with an average of 344 Florida people dying from the virus every day.
Even before the COVID pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that Mississippi had the highest infant mortality rate of any state in the United States, with 311 infant deaths in the state in 2018 and 322 infant deaths in 2019.
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