“As Mississippi faces a ‘skyrocketing’ surge in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations – its highest increase on record – health officials are sounding the alarm about a state hospital system on the brink of collapse. The University of Mississippi Medical Center, in partnership with state officials, will reopen a surge facility Friday in the medical center’s parking lot, with help from the federal government,” ABC News reports.

“Doctors, nurses, pharmacists and respiratory therapists will be deployed to work at the field hospital for at least the next 14 days. ‘Unfortunately, we were standing in a tent again. None of us wanted to come back to this point, but it’s gotten to the point where we’re just not able to care for the patients at UMMC, and in the state of Mississippi, that need the care with COVID,’ Dr. Alan Jones, associate vice chancellor for clinical affairs, said at a press conference on Thursday. ‘I think when you’re seeing a field hospital at a major academic medical center, we’re pretty much at a collapse-like system.’”

“The arrival of federal assistance comes as the state faces an influx of coronavirus patients, with more than 1,500 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 across the state, marking the highest number of patients receiving care since the onset of the pandemic. The bed capacity is ‘extremely tight,’ said Dr. LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor for health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine. ‘Our ICUs today are full. Our patient beds are full.’”

The enormous surge in coronavirus cases is directly related to the promotion of anti-vax conspiracy theories by the Republican Party faithful. Russian intelligence agencies frequently operate with a ‘living off the land’ mentality, and have been engaged in an effort to leverage Covid19 conspiracy theories and skepticism as a way of weakening the United States, by creating conditions that will lead to an increase in sick patients, as well as skyrocketing costs for Medicare and Medicaid. Right wing political agitators like House Rep Marjorie Taylor-Greene and FOX propaganda conspiracy theorist Tucker Carlson have been contributing to Russian efforts for months now.