Third COVID-19 death in Warren County and three new cases; big spikes in statewide cases and deaths

The Mississippi State Department of Health reports the third COVID-19 death in Warren County Thursday. The person who died was a resident in a long-term care facility as are the three new cases reported. The total number of cases in the county now stands at 127. The county has 15 cases in one long-term care facility under investigation.

Statewide, MSDH reports another huge spike in new COVID-19 cases Thursday. The 393 new cases brings the total cumulative confirmed cases in Mississippi to 10,483.

MSDH also reports 15 additional Mississippians died of COVID-19, another record high, bringing the number of deaths in the state to 480.

Deaths and new cases were reported as of 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 13. MSDH reports new statistics on the COVID-19 coronavirus each morning based on the previous day’s testing and death reports.

MSDH is also reporting the number of estimated COVID-19 cases presumed recovered in Mississippi. That number is 6,268 through May 3, the agency reported Monday, May 11. This figure will be updated weekly.

Long-term care facilities

Many of the new cases and deaths in Mississippi are reflected in cases and deaths in the state’s long-term care facilities. The number of individual COVID-19 cases in long-term care facilities total 1,345 Thursday, and deaths among residents total 224. About 12.8% of the state’s cases and 46.7% of the state’s virus deaths are people from long-term care facilities. The number of active outbreaks under investigation is 115.

Lauderdale County in East Central Mississippi has the highest number of cases and deaths in long-term care facilities in the state, with 135 cases and 27 deaths. It also has among the highest total COVID-19 cases and deaths reported in the state with 557 cases and the 45 deaths as of Thursday.

Mississippi is paying special attention to any outbreaks in these facilities. 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.

COVID-19 in Mississippi counties

Neighboring Hinds County, still the state’s virus epicenter, is reporting 717 cases Thursday, an increase of 30 since Tuesday, and 18 deaths, an increase of one. Eleven of the deaths in Hinds were residents in long-term care facilities, and 62 cases in long-term care facilities are under investigation in Hinds County.

In other neighboring counties, Yazoo County reports 176 cases, an increase of seven, and two deaths, unchanged. Yazoo is reporting four cases under investigation in long-term care facilities. Claiborne County reports 48 cases, an increase of seven, and Sharkey County reports five cases, unchanged since Tuesday. Neither Claiborne or Sharkey counties have reported outbreaks in long-term care facilities, and neither has any reported deaths from the virus. Issaquena County remains the only county in the state without any reported cases.

In all, 35 Mississippi counties are now reporting more than 100 cases each, and 15 counties report 200 or more. Hinds, Lauderdale, Madison, and Scott counties report more than 400 cases. Only Greene and Sharkey counties report 10 or fewer cases.

Deaths reported in most Mississippi counties are in the single digits, and 15 counties report no deaths from the virus. The following 18 counties report 10 or more deaths: Adams (15, unchanged since Tuesday), Bolivar (10), Chickasaw (10, unchanged), Clarke (11), Forrest (24, up one), Hancock (10, unchanged), Hinds (18, up one), Holmes (19, unchanged), Jackson (13, unchanged), Lauderdale (45, unchanged), Leflore (22, unchanged), Lincoln (16, up two), Madison (15, up two), Monroe (22, up one), Neshoba (16, unchanged), Pearl River (26, up one), Pike (10, unchanged) and Tippah (11, unchanged) counties. Bolivar and Clarke counties were added to that list Thursday.

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