Mississippi’s top public health doctor warned more deaths from the COVID-19 coronavirus are likely in the days ahead as the number of hospitalized Mississippians with the virus continues to skyrocket.

On Sunday, Mississippi State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs reported that a record 434 patients were in ICU rooms across the state with 295 patients requiring ventilators to breathe. Both of those numbers are new records.

The number of ICU patients rose 39 patients since the state health department’s last official update on Thursday, while patients requiring mechanical ventilation rose 43 patients over the same period.

Dobbs said the blame is on the lack of vaccinations among many people in Mississippi and the highly contagious delta variant of the virus.

“Delta is different. Delta is deadly,” he wrote. “From previous waves – (approximately) 1/3 of ICU patients and (approximately) 2/3 patient on life support won’t make it home.”

Dobbs urged Mississippians to consider they likely only have two choices, get the vaccine or get COVID.

“Plan A: COVID vaccine http://vaccines.gov http://covidvaccine.umc.edu (or if you contact COVID-19) Plan B: Monoclonals http://msdh.ms.gov/mAb