Two new COVID-19 cases in Warren County; statewide cases at 5,911 and deaths at 227

Mississippi continues to see large increases in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases. The Mississippi State Department of Health is reporting Sunday that the number of new COVID-19 cases is 193, bringing the total of cases to 5,911 as of 6 p.m. Saturday, April 25.

Six Mississippians died of the virus yesterday, bringing the total number of deaths in the state to 227.

MSDH reports two additional confirmed cases in Warren County bringing the number of cases to 47. The county’s death toll is unchanged and 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 (637, up 38 since yesterday) in its chart (below), instead of the number of facilities under investigation. The number of facilities under investigation is 85, an increase of six 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.

Neighboring Hinds County, still the state’s virus epicenter, is reporting 415 cases today, an increase of three since yesterday, and seven deaths, unchanged. Twelve cases in long-term care facilities are under investigation in Hinds County, an increase of one since yesterday. In all, 20 Mississippi counties are reporting more than 100 cases.

In other neighboring counties, Claiborne reports 19 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 122 cases, up one 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, 52.4% of cases (3,095) and 60.8% of COVID-19 deaths (138) 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 176 cases, up nine since yesterday. As of Friday, MSDH reports 11 cases in infants less than one year old, up one 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 Sunday, 658 of Mississippi’s cumulative 1,034 hospitalizations, or 63.6%, were among people over 60, and 89.4% of the state’s deaths (203) have been people over 60.

Current hospitalizations are down slightly as of Sunday, and the number of patients in intensive care units and on ventilators is showing a downward trend.

(Source: MSDH)

The rate of hospitalizations for those diagnosed with COVID-19 continues to drop and is now below the national average. From a high of more than 30%, the rate stands at 20% as of Sunday. The national average for hospitalizations has seen a steady rise and now stands at 29.2 per 100,000 for the week ending April 24, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; however, the rate skyrockets to 95.5 per 100,000 for those 65 and older.

The number of people tested in Mississippi as of April 25 was 60,788, with 49,197 tests performed by private labs. The number of tests completed by the MSDH Public Health Laboratory through April 25 is 11,591, with 1,362 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: