Mississippi’s COVID-19 cases are rising right along with the rest of the nation’s, and federal health officials moved Monday to shorten the amount of time people infected with and exposed to the virus have to spend in quarantine.
The Mississippi State Department of Health on Monday reported 7,058 new cases from Wednesday through Sunday, which is a big jump compared to case numbers reported in recent weeks.
Mississippi went from seeing fewer than 300 cases per day in November to about 1,000 per day starting last week.
State health officials confirmed the omicron variant was in the state on Dec. 6, but haven’t said much about its prevalence in Mississippi since then.
A state health department chart showing the spread of coronavirus variants hasn’t been updated to show omicron’s impact in Mississippi.
Hospitalizations and admissions to intensive care units were up over the past week, but ventilator use remained mostly level, according to the MSDH.
State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said on Twitter last week that monoclonal antibodies, a treatment that had marked success in treating other strains of the coronavirus, is seeing some resistance from omicron.
“This wave will be different — most monoclonal treatments ineffective vs Omicron,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made significant changes to its quarantine guidelines on Monday, shortening the amount of time people must spend at home in isolation due to infection or exposure from 10 days to five — if they no longer have symptoms.
After their quarantine is over they should wear a mask around others for five days.
“The change is motivated by science demonstrating that the majority of SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurs early in the course of illness, generally in the one to two days prior to onset of symptoms and the two to three days after,” the CDC posted on its website Monday. “Therefore, people who test positive should isolate for five days and, if asymptomatic at that time, they may leave isolation if they can continue to mask for five days to minimize the risk of infecting others.”
People exposed to the virus who are unvaccinated or haven’t received a booster shot should quarantine for five days followed by strict mask use for an additional five days.
“Alternatively, if a five-day quarantine is not feasible, it is imperative that an exposed person wear a well-fitting mask at all times when around others for 10 days after exposure,” the CDC said.
People who have had their booster shot don’t need to quarantine following an exposure but should wear a mask for 10 days, according to the new guidelines.
Additionally, anyone exposed should be tested for the virus after five days, the CDC said.
Federal health officials said data from South Africa and the United Kingdom, where the omicron variant ran rampant before making its way to the U.S., indicates that two doses of an mRNA vaccine, such as Moderna or Pfizer, is about 35% effective in warding off the virus. A booster raises the vaccine’s effectiveness to 75%.
“The Omicron variant is spreading quickly and has the potential to impact all facets of our society. CDC’s updated recommendations for isolation and quarantine balance what we know about the spread of the virus and the protection provided by vaccination and booster doses,” CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said. “These updates ensure people can safely continue their daily lives. Prevention is our best option: get vaccinated, get boosted, wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas of substantial and high community transmission, and take a test before you gather.”
