Another record number of COVID-19 deaths reported Friday in Mississippi; Warren County sees its 25th death

Last updated: July 31, 2020

Mississippi is reporting another record number of COVID-19 deaths Friday and another day of 1,000-plus new cases. Warren County reports its 25th death.

In Warren County, the Mississippi State Department of Health reports 16 new COVID-19 cases and one new death Friday. The cumulative number of cases in the county to-date is 946, and the county’s death toll is 25. The county has added 275 new cases in the past 14 days.

Statewide, MSDH reports 1,168 new COVID-19 cases Friday, bringing the total cumulative confirmed cases in Mississippi to 58,747. With new case counts over 1,100 for six of the last seven days, and more than 9,000 new cases reported in that week, the seven-day average for new cases is 1,298.

MSDH reports Friday that a record 52 Mississippians died of COVID-19 statewide, bringing the total number of deaths in the state to 1,663. The state’s rate of deaths to confirmed cases is about 2.8%, a rate that has held steady for several days.

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 Friday:

Deaths and new cases were reported as of 6 p.m. Thursday, July 30. MSDH usually reports new statistics on the COVID-19 coronavirus each day based on the previous day’s testing and death reports.

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. Thursday, July 30, is 1,229. The number includes 989 with confirmed cases of COVID-19, a new high, and 240 people with suspected but unconfirmed cases. Of those with confirmed infections, 297 were critically ill and in intensive care units and 176 were on ventilators.

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 60% of the cumulative 58,747 cases reported as of Friday, July 31.

The number of cases in Warren County three weeks ago, Friday, July 10, was 577, therefore the estimated number of people presumed recovered in the county is 552, or about 58.4% of the 946 cumulative cases reported Friday, July 31. The county has an estimated 369 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 total number of Mississippians tested for COVID-19 (PCR tests) as of Wednesday, July 27, is 453,670 or about 15.2% of the state’s 2.976 million residents. The positivity rate (current positive results to current tests) is about 20.8%, 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. Thursday, Mississippi’s positivity rate was the highest in the nation.

The total number of outbreaks in long-term care facilities is 201, a number that has been rising recently after having gone down for a while. About 44.7%, or 721, of the state’s total deaths were people in long-term care facilities. Twenty-three of the 52 deaths reported Friday were in LTC facilities.

In Warren County as of 6 p.m. Friday, 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. A total of 10 deaths in the county were residents of LTC facilities, including nine residents of Heritage House Nursing Center, which is no longer under investigation.

For additional information, visit the MSDH website.