Mississippi has only 6 ICU beds open – National & International News – THU 5Aug2021

Mississippi has only 6 ICU beds amid COVID surge; LA and AR hospitals turning patients away. Mexico sues US gunmakers over weapons trafficking.

NATIONAL NEWS

Mississippi has only 6 ICU beds open

Many may have believed that the worst of the pandemic was behind us, and that headlines like these were in the rearview mirror, along with the other horrors of 2020. But sadly, this is not the case. Despite warnings and repeated urging to get vaccinated, in the country were vaccines are more abundant than any other on earth, over 90% of patients hospitalized with the COVID delta strain are not vaccinated. And those patients tend to be younger and, otherwise, healthier, than those lining hospital corridors last year.

Dr. Jonathan Wilson of the University of Mississippi Medical Center says that as of yesterday, there were only 6 open ICU beds in the entire state. While the ICU patients do include some suffering from other ailments, most are COVID patients. Wilson says, “We are at the cusp of this. We know that we aren’t at the crest of this wave. It’s bad, but it’s probably going to get a little worse”.

What does ‘a little worse’ look like?

In neighboring Louisiana, some hospitals overrun with COVID patients have arrived at the point where they are “rationing” care. That means that staff are forced to turn away people who are in need of hospitalization so that they can care for the sickest first. Dr. Catherine O’Neal of the Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge says her facility is admitting a COVID patient every 45 minutes. O’Neal says, “That safety net of care that every community depends on for every type of illness is starting to break down, and that’s very concerning”.

To everyone who is still on the fence about vaccinating, O’Neal says the time to get off that fence is now. “Everybody’s got a part to play in a war“, O’Neal says. “We have an onslaught of a virus that has no end. We’re asking everybody to play their part… We all have to contribute something to the end of this pandemic. If you get vaccinated, you will be contributing something”.

Fewer beds, more sick people

In Arkansas, the picture is little better. At a recent town hall meeting, Fayetteville resident Ashley McFadin spoke about a recent experience with her brother, Trey, who has an autoimmune disorder. Last week, Trey became very sick, and his family called for an ambulance. When paramedics arrived, the family learned that the hospital where Trey’s doctors work had no beds. The same was true at another hospital that they called. The family waited 14 hours to get him a bed. At the time, Ashley feared her brother would die in her arms before he got treatment. The family had never before had such an issue.

Only about 42% of Arkansans are fully vaccinated. While vaccinated people face a small risk of breakthrough infections, breakthrough cases are usually much less severe than delta infections in unvaccinated patients. That means that vaccinated people can largely stay home and nurse their symptoms on their own. Infected people who aren’t vaccinated are far more likely end up in the hospital fighting for their own lives, and making it impossible for hospitals to deal with other health emergencies that come in.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Mexico sues US gunmakers contributing to weapons trafficking

The Mexican government is suing six US gun manufacturers for $10 billion in damages, stemming from loss of life from illegally trafficked guns flooding into the country. According to the Mexican government, 340,000 firearms made by the companies named in the suit find their way into Mexico illegally every year. Many of those end up in the hands of cartel members, who often far outgun the police. Between 70-90% of guns involved in violent crimes in Mexico come from the US.

The suit claims that for Smith & Wesson, Barrett Firearms, Colt, Glock and Ruger, Mexico’s illegal market is “their economic lifeblood”. In fact, the suit also alleges that the companies market their products to cartel members in particular. Colt for example sells three types of flashy, high-end specialty pistols, “El Jefe”, “El Grito”, and the “Emiliano Zapata 1911”. All of these models are status symbols among cartel members.

Mexico contends that these companies have a responsibility to make reasonable efforts to prevent the illegal flow of weapons into the country. In addition to the monetary damages, Mexico is seeking better safety features on guns and tighter sales controls.

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