7 Mississippi children in intensive care with COVID-19, 2 in intensive care

Seven children from Mississippi are in hospital fighting for their lives with COVID-19 – including two on life support, the state’s top health official said.

“With big and personal apologies – MS with 7 children in intensive care including 2 on ventilators (life support)”, Thomas Dobbs, Mississippi health officer wrote on Twitter Tuesday.

“Please be careful and if you are 12 or older protect yourself,” Dobbs added.

It is not known how old the children are or if they were eligible for vaccination.

Dr Alan Jones, associate vice chancellor for clinical affairs at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, said four COVID-19 pediatric patients were receiving treatment at his hospital, both of whom were in intensive care.

“We have had more pediatric admissions than at the start of the pandemic,” Jones told WAPT news channel.

The hospitalizations come as the highly contagious Delta variant has spread across the state, which has the lowest vaccination rate in the United States.

“Almost ALL cases in [Mississippi] are a Delta variant right now, ”Dobbs, the state’s top health official, wrote on Twitter.

The state recorded 219 new cases and 10 deaths on Tuesday, bringing the statewide number to more than 325,000 cases and at least 7,451 deaths since the start of the pandemic, health officials said .