New records set for COVID-19 cases statewide and in Warren County

Mississippi and Warren County saw another record number of new COVID-19 cases Monday. Hospitalizations also hit a new record high in the state.

In Warren County, the Mississippi State Department of Health reports a record 37 new COVID-19 cases and no new deaths Monday. The previous record number of cases, 33, was reported July 3. The cumulative number of cases in the county to date is 727, and the county’s death toll is 22.

As of Friday, July 17, MSDH reported that Shady Lawn Health and Rehabilitation and The Bluffs Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center are under investigation for active COVID-19 outbreaks in Warren County. Shady Lawn has two COVID-19 cases among staff, three cases among residents and one resident death, The Bluffs has three cases among staff. Deaths in the county include nine residents of Heritage House Nursing Center, which is no longer under investigation.

Statewide, MSDH reports 1,251 new COVID-19 cases Monday, bringing the total cumulative confirmed cases in Mississippi to 43,889.

MSDH reports Monday that another three Mississippians died of COVID-19 statewide, bringing the total number of deaths in the state to 1,358. About 48% of the state’s total deaths were people in long-term care facilities. The state’s rate of deaths to confirmed cases is about 3.1%, a rate that has been falling very slowly for a few weeks.

The numbers of deaths can lag new cases by two weeks or more, which may be one reason deaths in the state had not risen dramatically until July 7 when 44 deaths were reported. In addition, most new cases are seen in younger people recently, and they are more likely to survive the virus than those 65 and older. By far, the age group reporting the most cases in Mississippi are young people from 18 to 29 years old.

MSDH reported deaths in the following counties Monday:

Deaths and new cases were reported as of 6 p.m. Sunday, July 19. MSDH usually reports new statistics on the COVID-19 coronavirus each day based on the previous day’s testing and death reports.

MSDH has estimated the number of people who can be presumed recovered from COVID-19 in Mississippi. That number is 30,315 through Sunday, July 19. This figure is updated weekly. It represents about 69% of the cumulative 43,889 cases reported as of Monday, July 20.

The number of cases in Warren County three weeks ago, Monday, June 29, was 409, therefore the estimated number of people presumed recovered in the county is 387, or about 53.2% of the 727 cumulative cases reported Monday, July 20. The county has an estimated 318 active cases.

These estimates are based on MSDH’s guidelines for calculating estimated recoveries when hospitalizations are not known, using the number of cases 21 days ago, less known outcomes (deaths).

The primary metric concerning state health officials are the numbers of people hospitalized, and that number has been steadily rising with new cases. On June 6, the number of Mississippians hospitalized with confirmed cases of COVID-19 was at a low of 358. Since then, hospitalizations have nearly tripled. Last week, health officials began warning repeatedly that some hospitals were running out of ICU beds.

The number of Mississippians hospitalized for the virus as of 6 p.m. Sunday, July 19, is 1,119, another record high. The number includes 909 with confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 210 people with suspected but unconfirmed cases. Of those with confirmed infections, 284 were critically ill and in intensive care units and 143 were on ventilators.

Source: MSDH

For additional information, visit the MSDH website.