Warren County reports 24th COVID-19 death Sunday; state reports more than 1,200 new cases

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Mississippi saw the number of new COVID-19 increase by more than 1,200 cases Sunday, while Warren County saw another death.

In Warren County, the Mississippi State Department of Health reports another 11 new COVID-19 cases and one new death Sunday. The cumulative number of cases in the county to date is 853, and the county’s death toll is 24.

Statewide, MSDH reports 1.207 new COVID-19 cases Sunday, bringing the total cumulative confirmed cases in Mississippi to 52,304. The seven-day average for new cases is 1,382.

MSDH reports Sunday that another 15 Mississippians died of COVID-19 statewide, bringing the total number of deaths in the state to 1,495. The state’s rate of deaths to confirmed cases is about 2.9%, 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 Sunday. Click the county links to see a summary.

Deaths and new cases were reported as of 6 p.m. Saturday, July 25. 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 Friday, July 24, is 421,233 or about 14.2% of the state’s 2.976 million residents. The positivity rate (positive results to total tests) is about 12.1% indicating Mississippi is not testing enough, and results are probably an undercount of actual infections.

The total number of outbreaks in long-term care facilities is 184. About 46% of the state’s total deaths were people in long-term care 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 30,315 through Sunday, July 19. This figure is updated weekly. It represents about 58% of the cumulative 52,304 cases reported as of Sunday, July 26.

The number of cases in Warren County three weeks ago, Sunday, July 5, was 515, therefore the estimated number of people presumed recovered in the county is 501, or about 58.7% of the 853 cumulative cases reported Sunday, July 26. The county has an estimated 338 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. That warning has become more urgent and the numbers of cases continue to rise.

The number of Mississippians hospitalized for the virus as of 6 p.m. Friday, July 24, is 1,172. The number includes 961 with confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 211 people with suspected but unconfirmed cases. Of those with confirmed infections, 295 were critically ill and in intensive care units and 159 were on ventilators. (MSDH did not update hospital statistics for July 25 as of this writing)

For additional information, visit the MSDH website.