MSDH reports all-time high of 397 new COVID-19 cases, six in Warren County

The Mississippi State Department of Health is reporting an all-time high of new COVID-19 cases Friday. New cases reported as of 6 p.m. Thursday, April 30, is 397, bringing the total cases to 7,212.

MSDH is also reporting 20 additional deaths, although it says 11 of them occurred between March 29 and April 16 and are based on death certificate investigations. The number of deaths in the state now number 281.

MSDH is reporting an additional six confirmed COVID-19 cases in Warren County bringing the cumulative number of cases to 74 on Friday. The county’s death toll is unchanged and stands at two.

The number of estimated COVID-19 cases presumed recovered in Mississippi is 3,413 as of Wednesday, April 29. This figure will be updated weekly.

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

The number of individual cases in long-term care facilities total 825, an increase of 73 since Wednesday, and 110 deaths among residents. The number of facilities under active investigation is 88, an increase of 16. Even one case is a long-term care facility is considered an outbreak because of the ages and poor health of many residents. Long-term care facilities include nursing homes, intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities, personal care homes, assisted living facilities, long-term acute care facilities, and psychiatric or chemical dependency residential treatment centers.

Neighboring Hinds County, still the state’s virus epicenter, is reporting 496 cases Friday, an increase of 26 since yesterday, and eight deaths, four of which were residents in long-term care facilities. Fourteen cases in long-term care facilities are under investigation in Hinds County yesterday.

In other neighboring counties, Claiborne reports 23 cases, up one since yesterday, and Sharkey reports five cases, unchanged since yesterday. Neither Claiborne nor Sharkey has any reported deaths from the virus. Yazoo County reports 139 cases, up four since yesterday and one death. Issaquena County remains the only county in the state without any reported cases.

In all, 20 Mississippi counties are reporting more than 125 cases each. Deaths reported in the counties are in the single digits except for Forrest (12, unchanged), Lauderdale (23, up three), Leflore (17, unchanged), Lincoln (11, up one), Monroe (16, up two) and Pearl River (20, up one), and Tippah (10) counties. Tippah County was added to that list today.

Cases and deaths from the virus are heavily skewed toward African Americans, and MSDH is reporting racial breakdowns of each county’s statistics, available on its website. As of today, 51.9% of cases (3,742) and 58.4% of COVID-19 deaths (164) in Mississippi were among African Americans.

Almost all of the COVID-19 deaths in Mississippi occurred among people with underlying health conditions, including obesity, lung disease and diabetes. The health of African Americans is contributing to their higher rate of infection and death from COVID-19.

All age groups have been affected by the disease, including children under 18, with 248 cases, up 24 since yesterday. As of today, MSDH reports 19 cases in infants less than one year old, unchanged since yesterday. 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 evening, 781 of Mississippi’s cumulative 1,230 hospitalizations, or 63.6%, were among people over 60, and 89.3% of the state’s deaths (251) have been people over 60.

Current hospitalizations increased Thursday to 454 in patients with confirmed COVID-19 infections, an increase of 10 patients. Another 197 hospitalized patients are suspected of being infected but have not been confirmed. The overall trend for patients in intensive care units and on ventilators seems to be holding fairly steady.

Source: MSDH

Mississippi’s rate of hospitalizations for those diagnosed with COVID-19 is below the national average. From a high of more than 30%, the rate stands at 19.6% as of today. The national average for hospitalizations has seen a steady rise and now stands at 40.4 per 100,000 for the week ending April 25, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; however, the rate skyrockets to 131.6 per 100,000 for those 65 and older.

The number of people tested in Mississippi as of April 30 is 71,548, with 58,921 tests, or about 82%, performed by private labs. The number of tests completed by the MSDH Public Health Laboratory through April 29 is 12,321, with 1,491 positive results, a rate of 12%.

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, although not having a fever may not eliminate you from being tested. 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 or call the hotline at 877-978-6453, available seven days a week from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m.

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