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COVID-19

Mississippi COVID-19 deaths now number 140; cases increase by 169 to 3,793

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COVID-19 Update

The Mississippi State Department of Health is reporting that COVID-19 cases across the state increased by 169 yesterday to a total of 3,793.

Another 11 Mississippians died of the virus yesterday, bringing the number of deaths from the virus in the state to 140.

In a press conference earlier in the day, State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said that 148 individuals are in intensive care units with the virus, and 96 patients are on ventilators.

MSDH is reporting one additional confirmed case in Warren County on Friday, bringing the number of cases in the county to 17. Ten of the reported cases are African Americans. The number of reported deaths in the county stands at one.

Neighboring Hinds County, which remains the state’s virus epicenter, is reporting 314 cases today, an increase of 13, and five deaths, up one since yesterday. Additionally, five long-term care facilities are under investigation in Hinds County.

In other neighboring counties, Claiborne reports eight cases and Sharkey reports three cases, both unchanged since yesterday. Neither Claiborne or Sharkey has any reported deaths from the virus. Yazoo County reports 81 cases, an increase of nine since yesterday, and one death. Issaquena County remains the only county in the state without any reported cases.

MSDH reports new statistics on the COVID-19 coronavirus each morning based on the previous day’s testing and death reports.

As previously reported, cases and deaths from the virus are heavily skewed toward African Americans, and on Friday MSDH began reporting racial breakdowns of each county’s statistics. As of yesterday, 55% of cases and 66% of COVID-19 deaths in Mississippi were among African Americans.

Much of the racial distribution of the virus and deaths can also be attributed to underlying health conditions that make people more vulnerable to the virus. Those conditions include cardiovascular disease and diabetes, among others. Almost all of the deaths in Mississippi occurred in people with underlying health issues.

All age groups have been affected by the disease, including children under 18, with 101 cases, up 14 since yesterday. As of Friday, MSDH reported five cases in infants less than one year old. That count was reduced by two on Thursday and two on Friday, although it is not clear why. No deaths among juveniles have been reported in Mississippi.

Deaths and hospitalizations from the virus occur most frequently among those 60 and older. As of Thursday, 113 of the state’s 129 deaths, or just over 87.5%, have been people over 60. Deaths by age group were not reported on Friday.

The rate of hospitalizations for those diagnosed with COVID-19 is at 28%, still one of the highest rates in the nation. The national average for hospitalizations from the virus is 12.3%; however, the rate increases to 38.7 per 100,000 for those 65 and older.

Outbreaks under investigation in long-term care facilities now number 67 across the state, an increase of two since yesterday. Even one case is a long-term care facility is considered an outbreak because of the ages and poor health of many residents.

The number of people tested in Mississippi as of April 12 is 37,733, with 28,321 tests performed by private labs. The number of tests completed by the MSDH Public Health Laboratory through April 16 is 10,303, with 1,157 positive results, a rate of 11.46%.

Anyone with symptoms of fever, severe cough or severe chest pains – especially those who are older or in poor health – should arrange for testing with their doctor or one of the many health-care providers now performing testing. Healthcare providers can assess your health history and symptoms and perform testing for COVID-19 as needed. MSDH is also helping conduct free drive-up testing sites in many parts of the state. Always call ahead to the testing provider for instructions on safely being examined before you visit for your test.

Find a COVID-19 testing provider near you

For more information, visit the MSDH website.

Mississippi COVID-19 cases, deaths and long-term care facility outbreaks to date:

County Total Cases Total Deaths LTCs with Outbreaks
Adams 73 5 2
Alcorn 7
Amite 17 1
Attala 31 1
Benton 6
Bolivar 76 5 4
Calhoun 32 2 1
Carroll 10 1
Chickasaw 39 2 1
Choctaw 11 1
Claiborne 8
Clarke 21 1 1
Clay 22 1
Coahoma 45 1
Copiah 40 1
Covington 22
Desoto 213 3 1
Forrest 137 2 2
Franklin 14
George 9
Greene 3
Grenada 15 1
Hancock 50 5 2
Harrison 137 5 2
Hinds 314 5 5
Holmes 54 4
Humphreys 12 3 1
Itawamba 13 1 1
Jackson 196 6 2
Jasper 20 1
Jefferson 4 1
Jefferson Davis 8 1
Jones 56 3
Kemper 16
Lafayette 39 2 1
Lamar 57 1
Lauderdale 181 13 6
Lawrence 12
Leake 60 1
Lee 49 4
Leflore 70 6 1
Lincoln 95 6 2
Lowndes 30 1 1
Madison 123 3 3
Marion 38 1
Marshall 37 2
Monroe 58 3 2
Montgomery 15 1
Neshoba 46 1
Newton 19 1
Noxubee 20
Oktibbeha 42 2 2
Panola 27 2
Pearl River 115 8 2
Perry 21 1
Pike 93 2 2
Pontotoc 17 2 1
Prentiss 16 2
Quitman 13
Rankin 128 2 1
Scott 96 1
Sharkey 3
Simpson 14 1
Smith 38 1 1
Stone 17
Sunflower 45 2
Tallahatchie 8 1
Tate 27
Tippah 45 6 1
Tishomingo 2
Tunica 28 1 1
Union 9 1 1
Walthall 22
Warren 17 1
Washington 68 2 1
Wayne 10
Webster 17 1
Wilkinson 53 3 1
Winston 27
Yalobusha 14
Yazoo 81 1
Total 3,793 140 67

 

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