COVID-19
Monday’s new COVID-19 cases statewide lowest in nearly a month
The number of new COVID-19 cases reported statewide Monday is the lowest in nearly a month, since July 13 when 393 cases were reported. Critically ill patients with the virus continue to climb, however.
In Warren County, the Mississippi State Department of Health reported four new COVID-19 cases Sunday and one new death. On Monday, MSDH reported an additional two cases and no deaths. The cumulative number of cases in the county to date is 1,095, and the county’s death toll is 33.
Statewide, MSDH reported 527 new COVID-19 cases Sunday and 476 cases Monday, bringing the total cumulative confirmed cases in Mississippi to 67,649. The seven-day average of new cases is 932.
MSDH reported Sunday that 22 Mississippians died of COVID-19 statewide and reported Monday another 16 deaths, bringing the total number of deaths in the state to 1,912. The state’s rate of deaths to confirmed cases is about 2.8%, a rate that has held steady for at least two 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.
| County | Deaths reported Sunday |
| Coahoma | 1 |
| Greene | 1 |
| Madison | 1 |
| Monroe | 2 |
| Montgomery | 1 |
| Walthall | 1 |
| Warren | 1 |
Fourteen confirmed COVID-19 related deaths occurred between July 4 and July 31, identified from death certificate reports. The additional deaths were reported Sunday in the following counties:
| County | Deaths reported Sunday from Death Certificates |
| Clarke | 1 |
| DeSoto | 1 |
| Lawrence | 1 |
| Lee | 2 |
| Leflore | 1 |
| Madison | 1 |
| Montgomery | 1 |
| Oktibbeha | 1 |
| Panola | 1 |
| Pearl River | 1 |
| Rankin | 1 |
| Stone | 1 |
| Tate | 1 |
MSDH reported deaths in the following counties Monday.
| County | Deaths reported Monday |
| Lafayette | 1 |
| Lowndes | 1 |
| Madison | 2 |
| Noxubee | 1 |
| Tallahatchie | 1 |
| Tishomingo | 1 |
Nine confirmed COVID-19 related deaths occurred between July 13 and Aug. 2, identified from death certificate reports. The additional deaths were reported Monday in the following counties:
| County | Deaths reported Monday from Death Certificates |
| Holmes | 1 |
| Issaquena | 1 |
| Jackson | 1 |
| Jones | 1 |
| Leflore | 2 |
| Panola | 1 |
| Rankin | 1 |
| Washington | 1 |
Deaths and new cases were reported as of 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 7, for Sunday’s statistics and 6 p.m. Sunday for Monday. 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. Three weeks ago, health officials began warning repeatedly that some hospitals were running out of ICU beds. That warning has become more urgent as the number of critical cases continues to rise.
The number of Mississippians hospitalized for the virus as of 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7, is 1,151. The number includes 978 with confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 173 people with suspected but unconfirmed cases. Of those with confirmed infections, 334 were critically ill and in intensive care units and 198 were on ventilators.
Source: MSDH
MSDH has estimated the number of people who can be presumed recovered from COVID-19 in Mississippi. That number is 42,391 through Sunday, Aug. 2. This figure is updated weekly. It represents about 62.7% of the cumulative 67,649 cases reported as of Monday, Aug. 10.
The number of cases in Warren County three weeks ago, Monday, July 20, was 727, therefore the estimated number of people presumed recovered in the county is 694, or about 63.4% of the 1,095 cumulative cases reported Monday, Aug. 10. The county has an estimated 368 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 Friday, Aug. 7, is 492,386 or about 16.5% of the state’s 2.976 million residents. The positivity rate (positive results to tests, seven-day average) is about 20.7%, according to Johns Hopkins University, indicating Mississippi is not testing nearly enough, and results are probably an undercount of actual infections. The national rate is currently 7.5%, and a rate of 5% or less indicates adequate testing. Mississippi’s positivity rate has been the highest or among the highest in the nation for more than a week.
The total number of outbreaks in long-term care facilities is 175 Monday. About 43.3%, or 832, of the state’s total deaths were people in long-term care facilities. Sixteen of the 38 deaths reported Sunday and Monday were in long-term care facilities.
In Warren County as of 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 6, MSDH reported that three long-term facilities were under investigation for active COVID-19 outbreaks:
- Shady Lawn had seven cases among staff, 32 cases among residents and eight resident deaths.
- The Bluffs had nine cases among staff and 27 among residents.
- Vicksburg Convalescent had 11 cases among staff and four among residents.
A total of 16 deaths in the county were residents of LTC facilities.
For additional information, visit the MSDH website.
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