A Mississippi coroner determined Hinds County Sheriff Lee Vance died from complications related to COVID-19 even though he was fully vaccinated.
Vance was found unresponsive in his home on Wednesday, reported The Clarion-Ledger. Medical personnel pronounced him dead on the scene. He was 63 years old.
“A family member had come to his house after not being able to contact him, and it was apparent that he was possibly suffering from some type of medical emergency,” Capt. Tyree Jones said, according to WAPT. Jones also tested positive for the virus. “Our condolences are with his family, his children and his grandchildren.”
The sheriff announced he had been diagnosed with the delta variant on July 23 and entered quarantine. Vance was inoculated with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Vance was a 30-year law enforcement veteran and was elected Hinds County Sheriff in 2019.
Coroner Sharon Grisham-Stewart announced Vance succumbed to cardiorespiratory failure on Thursday. His passing is considered a coronavirus-related death.
Mississippi has been hit hard by rising COVID-19 rates. The Mississippi State Health Department counted 2,094 deaths last Friday and 3,164 the previous day.
“We’re seeing a phenomenal increase in daily reported cases of COVID, and this is entirely attributable to the delta variant, which is sweeping over Mississippi like a tsunami,” State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs told WAPT.
Dobbs claimed Mississippi’s hospital intensive care units are full, and most cases are among unvaccinated people. He urged citizens to get vaccinated.
“Like we’ve been saying for a long time: It’s inevitable that eventually almost everyone is either going to get the vaccine or get COVID. The good thing is that if you get the vaccine, you protect yourself and your family. But, if you get COVID, not only do you get COVID, but you’re going to share it with maybe eight, or so, of your close friends, family and colleagues.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends everyone, regardless of vaccination status, continue to wear masks to curb the spread of the virus. Last Wednesday, the CDC announced 67 percent of counties in the United States have transmission rates high enough to require indoor masking, reported Reuters.
The delta variant is responsible for over 80 percent of new coronavirus cases in the United States.
Vance’s funeral will be held on August 14, with a scheduled viewing the prior day. Flags at the Hinds County Courthouse have been lowered to half-staff in his honor.
