'Save our babies': As another Mississippi child dies of COVID-19, communities beg for help

• Over 4,400 students in 43 of Mississippi's 82 counties are quarantined due to COVID-19 exposure.
• Mississippi hosts a 34% fully vaccinated rate, however Smith County's rate lags far behind at 23%.
• Mississippi has lost five children due to COVID-19-related causes.

Another Mississippi child died from COVID-19 complications this weekend, adding to the four other pediatric deaths since the virus came into the state in March 2020, the health department confirmed Monday.

A Facebook post from the Smith County Reformer, a long-time Mississippi publication, said Sunday a prayer rally was held for 13 year-old Smith County student Mkayla Robinson, noting she'd died from coronavirus-related complications.

On the steps in front of Raleigh High School on Sunday, Pastor Ronald Van Wilbon cried out, "save our babies."

"We're told every day that this new delta (variant) is attacking babies and we can see that it's true," he said. "We cannot afford to continue to lose children, the price is too high. We are grieving the life of a 13-year-old baby that has left a mother, a father, two little brothers, a family and classmates behind due to COVID-19."

COVID-19 surge:Over 7,800 new COVID-19 cases reported in Mississippi over weekend

Paul Harrison, Raleigh High School Lion Pride Marching Band director, wrote in a Saturday Facebook post that Mkayla, an eighth grader, was the perfect student.

"Every teacher loved her and wanted 30 more just like her," the post read. "Please pray for Raleigh Junior High, the band, and especially the family as they deal with this."

Smith County, with a population of around 16,000, has recorded 2,012 COVID-19 cases and 96 related deaths. As of Monday, the Smith County School District reported since the start of school on Aug. 6, 78 students have tested positive for the coronavirus, with a total of 479 students across four schools in quarantine. Eleven of the district's teachers and assistants have the virus and 23 are quarantined.

COVID-19 in schools:More than 4,000 Mississippi K-12 students quarantined due to COVID exposure from Aug. 2-6

The district did not mandate mask-wearing, instead leaving it up to students and staff to decide, according to a district back-to-school plan. They reversed the decision on Aug. 10, requiring everyone on campuses to don masks. 

Smith County School District isn't the only hard-hit school district in Mississippi. The most recent Mississippi State Department of Health data show over 4,400 students in 43 of Mississippi's 82 counties are quarantined due to COVID-19 exposure. Almost 800 students tested positive from Aug. 2 to 6.

On Sunday, Wilbon called on all levels of government and community members to help keep children safe from the most recent surge of COVID-19, urging that this uptick should not be political.

The Smith County Reformer reported Sunday morning a Smith County 20-year-old, Madison Stanley, died from COVID-19-related causes in late-July after giving birth to a healthy son. 

Children have been hit particularly hard by COVID-19 during a fourth surge powered by the highly infectious delta variant. State health officials have attributed the rise in cases to children under 12 who cannot get vaccinated, the states low fully vaccinated rates and face-to-face gathering from summer activities and camps. 

Mississippi hosts a 34% fully vaccinated rate, however Smith County's rate lags far behind at 23%, according to the Mississippi State Department of Health

COVID-19 surge:Second field hospital staged in University of Mississippi Medical Center garage

While several Mississippi-based health organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics Mississippi Chapter, the Mississippi State Medical Association and the Mississippi State Department of Health, have endorsed universal mask-wearing for K-12 students and staff, there is no statewide mask mandate for schools.

Gov. Tate Reeves said he's "entrusted" schools districts to decide whether students, teachers and staff will have mask-wearing requirements. During a Friday press conference he said it's "very rare that kids under the age of 12 have anything other than the sniffles" from COVID-19.

"Does it happen from time to time? Sure it does," he said, unable to accurately list the number of Mississippi children who've died from the virus since March 2020.

Mississippi has lost five children due to COVID-19-related causes:

• Early Sept. 2020: A child between the ages of 1-5 due to multisystem inflammatory syndrome.
• Late Oct. 2020: A child between the ages 6-10.
• Between Feb. and March 2021: A teen between 11-17.
• Late July 2021: A teen between 11-17 with a common underlying medical condition.
• Aug. 14, 2021: 13-year-old Mkayla Robinson.

A sobering Monday tweet from Reeves' daughters' former pastor urged him to implement a statewide mask mandate. 

"I was thinking about your girls and all the other children I've ministered to, all the children I love who cannot be vaccinated against this deadly virus, and I'm afraid for them, Tate," the tweet read. "(Vaccines and masks) are the two tools that consistently work to reduce mortality and catastrophic outcomes from COVID-19."

Have a health story? Or a health-related tip? Send it along to shaselhorst@gannett.com, on Twitter at @HaselhorstSarah or call 601-331-9307.