COVID-19 Updates from the Medical Center
Published on Friday, January 1, 2021
The University of Mississippi Medical Center is at the forefront of the pandemic, and the department of anesthesiology is on the frontlines, from the operating rooms to the intensive care unit. COVID patients come to the operating room daily for routine and emergency surgical care, and our staff is ready and prepared to assist in providing comprehensive anesthetic care. Our anesthesia critical care physicians continue to provide care to COVID patients during their night intensivist role for the entire ICU tower as well providing care for COVID patients in the surgical intensive care unit (SICU) and the cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU). Our anesthesia residents are also vital members of these ICU teams.
Mississippi to date has 202,651 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 4,556 deaths. In the last few weeks, the bed shortage across the state has become real and has put a huge strain on the hospital system. But hope is on the horizon! The first doses of the Pfizer COVID vaccine were given starting Wednesday, December 16. The Pfizer vaccine is given as one shot and another booster several weeks later. Our department showed up in large numbers to receive and administer the vaccine.