Warren County reports 11 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday; more than 1,500 reported statewide

Mississippi has reported more than 1,500 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, and hospitalizations have set a new record.

In Warren County, the Mississippi State Department of Health reports 11 new COVID-19 cases and no new deaths Wednesday. The cumulative number of cases in the county to date is 897, and the county’s death toll is 24. The county has added 280 new cases in the past 14 days.

Statewide, MSDH reports 1,505 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday, bringing the total cumulative confirmed cases in Mississippi to 55,804. With new case counts over 1,200 for five of the last seven days, the seven-day average for new cases is 1,249.

MSDH reports Wednesday that another 20 Mississippians died of COVID-19 statewide, bringing the total number of deaths in the state to 1,563. The state’s rate of deaths to confirmed cases is about 2.8%, a rate that has been falling very slowly for a few weeks.

The number 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 Wednesday.

Four confirmed COVID-19 related deaths occurred between May 10 and July 12, identified from death certificate reports. The additional deaths were reported in the following counties:

Deaths and new cases were reported as of 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 28. MSDH usually reports new statistics on the COVID-19 coronavirus each day based on the previous day’s testing and death reports.

The total number of Mississippians tested for COVID-19 (PCR tests) as of Monday, July 27, is 442,546 or about 14.9% of the state’s 2.976 million residents. The positivity rate (current positive results to current tests) is about 24.1%, according to Johns Hopkins University, indicating Mississippi is not testing nearly enough, and results are probably an undercount of actual infections. A rate of 5% or less indicates adequate testing.

The total number of outbreaks in long-term care facilities is 197, a number that has been rising recently after having gone down for a while. About 45.3%, or 708, of the state’s total deaths were people in long-term care facilities. Five of the 20 deaths reported Wednesday were in LTC facilities.

In Warren County as of 6 p.m. Thursday, July 23, MSDH reported that Shady Lawn Health and Rehabilitation, The Bluffs Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center, and Vicksburg Convalescent Center are under investigation for active COVID-19 outbreaks. Shady Lawn has seven COVID-19 cases among staff, 25 cases among residents and one resident death, The Bluffs has seven cases among staff and 15 among residents. Vicksburg Convalescent has one case among staff and two among residents. Deaths in the county include nine residents of Heritage House Nursing Center, which is no longer under investigation.

MSDH has estimated the number of people who can be presumed recovered from COVID-19 in Mississippi. That number is 35,071 through Sunday, July 26. This figure is updated weekly. It represents about 62.8% of the cumulative 55,804 cases reported as of Wednesday, July 29.

The number of cases in Warren County three weeks ago, Wednesday, July 8, was 540, therefore the estimated number of people presumed recovered in the county is 516, or about 57.5% of the 897 cumulative cases reported Wednesday, July 29. The county has an estimated 357 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. Two weeks ago, health officials began warning repeatedly that some hospitals were running out of ICU beds. That warning has become more urgent as the numbers of cases continue to rise.

The number of Mississippians hospitalized for the virus as of 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 28, is 1,211. The number includes 982 with confirmed cases of COVID-19, a new high, and 229 people with suspected but unconfirmed cases. Of those with confirmed infections, 296 were critically ill and in intensive care units and 178 were on ventilators.

Source: MSDH

For additional information, visit the MSDH website.