New COVID-19 cases shoot up again in Mississippi by 281; seven new cases in Warren County

Mississippi saw yet another big spike in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases overnight. The Mississippi State Department of Health is reporting Friday that the number of new COVID-19 cases is 281, bringing the total of cases to 5,434. of 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 22

Another eight Mississippians died of the virus yesterday, bringing the number of deaths in the state to 209.

In addition, MSDH reports seven additional confirmed cases in Warren County bringing the number of cases to 39. The county’s death toll stands at two.

MSDH has changed the way it is reporting outbreaks in long-term care facilities, now showing the number of individual cases in the facilities (552, up 37 since yesterday) in its chart, instead of the number of facilities under investigation. The number of facilities under investigation remains at 74, unchanged for several days. Even one case is a long-term care facility is considered an outbreak because of the ages and poor health of many residents.

Neighboring Hinds County, which remains the state’s virus epicenter, is reporting 401 cases today, an increase of 18 since yesterday, and six deaths. Ten cases in long-term care facilities are under investigation in Hinds County, an increase of one since yesterday.

In other neighboring counties, Claiborne reports 13 cases, an increase of one, and Sharkey reports four cases, unchanged since yesterday. Neither Claiborne nor Sharkey has any reported deaths from the virus. Yazoo County reports 117 cases, up seven 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.

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, 52.6% of cases (2,860) and 61.2% of COVID-19 deaths (128) 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 death from COVID-19.

All age groups have been affected by the disease, including children under 18, with 159 cases, up 15 since yesterday. As of Friday, MSDH reports eight 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 Monday, 614 of Mississippi’s 968 hospitalizations, or 63.4%, were among people over 60, and 89.5% of the state’s deaths (187) have been people over 60.

Total hospitalizations continue to rise, although the number of patients in intensive care units and on ventilators has been fairly flat.

The rate of hospitalizations for those diagnosed with COVID-19 continues to drop. From a high of more than 30%, the rate stands at 20.1% as of Friday. The national average for hospitalizations from the virus is 20 per 100,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; however, the rate skyrockets to 63.8 per 100,000 for those 65 and older.

The number of people tested in Mississippi as of April 22 was 55,389, with 44,421 tests performed by private labs. The number of tests completed by the MSDH Public Health Laboratory through April 23 is 11,314, with 1,330 positive results, a rate of 11.8%.

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 or call the hotline at 877-978-6453, available 24/7.

Mississippi COVID-19 cases, deaths and cases in long-term care facilities to date: