COVID-19 Cases, Deaths Rise in Mississippi's Nursing Homes

Disturbing Trend Underscores Need for Vigilance to Protect Our Most Vulnerable

JACKSON, Miss., July 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- New data indicates rates of COVID-19 cases and deaths in America's nursing homes rose substantially in June for the second month in a row, ending several months of decline from the peak of the initial Omicron wave in January 2022 and heightening concerns that a new surge is upon us.

The rate of nursing home resident deaths nationwide increased by more than 50% in the four-week period ending June 19, according to AARP's Nursing Home COVID-19 Dashboard, compared to the previous Dashboard release, with more than 750 resident deaths reported. 

Here in Mississippi, resident deaths were up from 0.00 in the previous four-week period ending May 22, to five deaths (0.04), in the four-week period ending June 19. Since the beginning of the pandemic, more than 2,000 nursing home residents in Mississippi have died from COVID-19.

The number of COVID-19 cases among nursing home residents is 246, and the number of COVID-19 cases among nursing home staff is 302, according to the new report.

Furthermore, the rate of resident cases nationwide increased by 27%, compared to the previous four weeks, according to the Dashboard, while the rate of staff cases nationwide increased by 42% during the same reporting period.

Nursing home resident cases in Mississippi were up from a rate of 0.45 in the previous four- week period ending May 22, to 1.81 in the four-week period ending June 19. The rate of staff cases was up from 0.51 in the previous report to 2.22 in the current Dashboard.

"Our loved ones in nursing homes are among our most vulnerable," said Kimberly L. Campbell, Esq., State Director of AARP Mississippi, which serves more than 260,000 members age 50 and older in Mississippi. "Rising deaths and cases of COVID-19 among nursing home residents and staff nationally show that for their sakes, we must remain vigilant, and we must hold nursing homes accountable for providing high quality care and safe environments."

The latest data from the AARP COVID-19 Nursing Home Dashboard shows that as of June 19, approximately 67% of nursing home residents in Mississippi were fully vaccinated with at least one booster dose, a slight increase from mid-May. Among nursing home staff, 29.9% are fully vaccinated with at least one booster dose, a slight increase from mid-May. 

The AARP Nursing Home COVID-19 Dashboard analyzes federally reported data in four-week periods going back to June 1, 2020. Using this data, the AARP Public Policy Institute, in collaboration with the Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University in Ohio, created the Dashboard to provide snapshots of the virus' infiltration into nursing homes and impact on nursing home residents and staff, with the goal of identifying specific areas of concern at the national and state levels in a timely manner.

The full AARP Nursing Home COVID-19 Dashboard is available at www.aarp.org/nursinghomedashboard. Medicare.gov's Care Compare website now offers information about vaccination and booster rates within individual nursing homes and how they compare to state and national averages.

For more information on how coronavirus is impacting nursing homes and AARP's advocacy on this issue, visit www.aarp.org/nursinghomes.

AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence and nearly 38 million members, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org, www.aarp.org/espanol or follow @AARP, @AARPenEspanol and @AARPadvocates, @AliadosAdelante on social media.

CONTACT: Ronda Gooden, 601-898-5417

SOURCE AARP Mississippi