New AARP Analysis Shows Devastating Impact of the Omicron Variant in Mississippi Nursing Homes

JACKSON, Miss., Feb. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As the number of COVID-19 cases declines nationwide, AARP's Nursing Home COVID-19 Dashboard, covering the four-week period ending January 23, paints a grim picture of the devastation caused by the surge of the Omicron variant in America's nursing homes and underscores the need for booster shots to protect both residents and staff.

Staff cases were more than 11 times as high nationwide as in last month's Dashboard (covering the four weeks ending December 19), with resident cases nationwide more than eight times as high.

Here in Mississippi, staff cases increased drastically from a rate of 0.49% (67) in December to 25.6% (3,449) in January. Resident cases increased from a rate of 0.36% (49) to 18.3% (2,464)  during this same time period. Nursing home resident deaths from COVID-19 increased from a rate of 0.03% (4) in December to 0.34% (46) in January.

The latest data from the Dashboard also shows that as of January 23, 53.8% of nursing home residents in Mississippi were fully vaccinated with a booster dose, a 0.119% increase from mid-December. Only 16.6% of direct care staff had received a booster, a 0.04% slight increase from mid-December.

"We know boosters save lives, we know they help prevent infections and severe illness," said  Kimberly L. Campbell, Esq., State Director of AARP Mississippi, which serves more than 262,000 members age 50 and older in Mississippi. "Even though the worst of the Omicron surge is hopefully behind us, the pandemic isn't over. The delivery of booster doses to nursing home residents and staff must remain a high priority as these residents are among the most vulnerable to COVID-19 and its variants."

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 Nursing Home COVID-19 Dashboard is available at www.aarp.org/nursinghomedashboard, and an AARP story about this month's data is available here. For more information on how coronavirus is impacting nursing homes and AARP's advocacy on this issue, visit www.aarp.org/nursinghomes. 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.

About AARP

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, 
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SOURCE AARP Mississippi