While COVID-19 is still out there, Mississippi is reporting single digit fatality numbers for the third straight day Monday.
The Mississippi State Department of Health reported eight deaths due to coronavirus on Saturday, two on Sunday and four Monday.
Coahoma County has reported 23 cases of COVID-19 over the past 14 days, but only four new cases over the past two days.
The Mississippi State Health Department continues to test – including free testing set for Tuesday at the Expo Center in Clarksdale – to stay atop coronavirus and determine if it is re-emerging.
Warmer weather may be a factor.
The CDC website says generally coronaviruses survive for shorter periods at higher temperatures and higher humidity than in cooler or dryer environments. It did clarify there is not yet a clear temperature or humidity level that hinders the disease
The state has recorded 895 deaths since it started counting on March 12 but only four new deaths today.
“I want to remind everyone to continue to wear masks, practice social distancing and remember the disease is still out there and people continue to die from it,” said Clarksdale Mayor Chuck Espy at a noon meeting recently. “The numbers across the state are still higher than they were 30 days ago. We need to remain vigilant.”
The county reported its fourth death from the disease on Thursday, May 28. As of today, 150 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Coahoma County.
The city passed State Executive Orders 1491 and 1492 last week which allow most businesses to reopen with certain requirements and allow gathering indoors of up to 20 people and outdoors of up to 100 people.
The number of new cases being reported locally also indicates many – especially young people -- may have the disease and just don’t know it.
Demographics from across the state and country also show the disease is more prevalent and under reported – for a variety of reasons – in minority communities.
Health officials have warned of spikes in the case count as the state reopens businesses, restaurants, movie theaters and gym.
Gov. Tate Reeves has said he will clamp back down on the economy if he sees a resurgence of the disease. Reeves issued Executive Order 1492 last week that he said fully opened Mississippi’s economy and it took effect Monday morning.
As of Monday there have been 19,799 cases of coronavirus confirmed in the state. There were 19,348 cases reported as of Monday, June 8.
The statistics continue to confirm data that mid-sized communities with lower populations but adequate healthcare are handling their fight against COVID-19 better than others. It should be pointed out all cities and towns have unique factors affecting their numbers.
Gov. Tate Reeves has said not all areas of the state have reported high numbers and local officials should be willing to make their own decisions.
Coahoma County had a population of 22,628 according to 2018 census estimates. As of today 0.66-percent of the county's population has been diagnosed with the disease.
The county is 89-days into the pandemic and it is apparent most of those 150 infected have gotten well.
The Center for Disease Control said the typical case of COVID-19 can last up to two weeks, with those suffering severe cases being ill up to three or four weeks.
State numbers
MSDH now says 15,323 people – 77.39 percent of Mississippians who had the disease -- have recovered.
Mississippi has a population of 2.987 million people and as of today 0.66-percent of the population has or has had the disease. Mississippi has implemented a massive testing program and an increase in testing has pushed the number of cases higher.
Mississippi leads the southeast in the number percentage of tests conducted. As of today, 240,664 people (8.05-percent of the population) have been tested. Monitoring the infection rate and quarantining those with the disease has been a key factor for both state and federal leaders as they consider reopening the economy.
Mississippi initially reported 50 cases on March 11 and, like other flu viruses, you can get a mild case of the disease and not know it.
The disease continues to sweep through nursing homes with 2,215 cases reported in LTC (Long Term Care) facilities on Friday. The state has also recorded 457 deaths – or 51.2-percent of the state’s total fatalities – coming from nursing homes.
Coahoma County initially reported a case of coronavirus in a nursing home on March 22, but that case has now been determined to have been pneumonia.
MSDH is also releasing data on who is being affected most by coronavirus.
The state again said 59.4-percent of the cases are African American, 30.0-percent are white and 10.6-percent are listed as other. The fatality ratio shows that 52.2-percent of those who have died were African American and 42.2 percent were white and those percentages have also varied little since numbers started being released.
MSDH numbers also show that 77.8-percent of those identified with coronavirus are not being hospitalized. Most hospitals are not keeping patients unless the condition is life threatening.
Data from the state also indicates the majority of those dying of COVID-19 had underlying conditions. Only five deaths have not had some type of underlying condition contribute to a fatality.
Mississippi seems to be getting more tests than many states. Urban areas of the state -- and nation -- are getting more testing. The more rural areas of the nation -- the Midwest and Mountain States -- are reporting fewer cases of coronavirus. The Northeast -- particularly New York City -- and the eastern seaboard are reporting most of the country's cases.
County by county
Cases reported as of today in the following Mississippi counties were: Adams (226), Alcorn (30), Amite (72), Attala (332) Benton (17), Bolivar (194), Calhoun (80), Carroll (122), Chickasaw (168), Choctaw (65), Claiborne (140), Clarke (166), Clay (174), Coahoma (150), Copiah (412), Covington (206), Desoto (718), Forrest (681), Franklin (30), George (37), Greene (54), Grenada (164), Hancock (100), Harrison (367), Hinds (1,308), Holmes (471), Humphreys (82), Itawamba (103), Jackson (367), Jasper (197), Jefferson (55), Jeff Davis (84), Jones (881), Kemper (169), Lafayette (181), Lamar (288), Lauderdale (811), Lawrence (118), Leake (487), Lee (301), Leflore (368), Lincoln (327), Lowndes (317), Madison (889), Marion (145), Marshall (107), Monroe (295), Montgomery (97), Neshoba (881), Newton (322), Noxubee (212), Oktibbeha (363), Panola (127), Pearl River (223), Perry (54), Pike (244), Pontotoc (77), Prentiss (66), Quitman (50), Rankin (539), Scott (690), Sharkey (8), Simpson (119), Smith (180), Stone (35), Sunflower (121), Tallahatchie (43), Tate (134), Tippah (94), Tishomingo (47), Tunica (66), Union (102), Walthall (105), Warren (259), Washington (266), Wayne (389), Webster (109), Wilkinson (85), Winston (150), Yalobusha (138) and Yazoo (348).
County case numbers change as investigations find new information on a case's home county. Cases reported also tend to increase late in the week as people are tested during the week and results take 1-to-3-days to return.
The state announced its first death due to coronavirus March 20. Fatalities attributed to the disease have been reported in Adams (17), Alcorn (1), Amite (2), Attala (23), Bolivar (12), Calhoun (4), Carroll (11), Chickasaw (16), Choctaw (2), Claiborne (8), Clarke (21), Clay (6), Coahoma (4), Copiah (6), Covington (3), Desoto (13), Forrest (41), Franklin (2), George (2), Greene (3), Grenada (4), Hancock (12), Harrison (7), Hinds (27), Holmes (34), Humphreys (8), Itawamba (8), Jackson (16), Jasper (4), Jefferson (2), Jeff Davis (3), Jones (39), Kemper (12), Lafayette (4), Lamar (6), Lauderdale (75), Lawrence (1), Leake (15), Lee (11), Leflore (45), Lincoln (32), Lowndes (9), Madison (30), Marion (9), Marshall (3), Monroe (25), Montgomery (1), Neshoba (50), Newton (6), Noxubee (6), Oktibbeha (17), Panola (4), Pearl River (31), Perry (3), Pike (11), Pontotoc (3), Prentiss (3), Rankin (10), Scott (12), Simpson (1), Smith (11), Sunflower (4), Tallahatchie (1), Tate (1), Tippah (11), Tunica (3), Union (8), Warren (12), Washington (8), Wayne (7), Webster (8), Wilkinson (9), Winston (2), Yalobusha (7) and Yazoo (6) counties as of today.
The virus also appears to be affecting the state's higher population areas such as the Gulf Coast, Jackson, Meridian metropolitan areas, Desoto and Lee counties more intensely. Communities that have had people travel to or from larger cities also appear to have a higher incident of the disease. As of today, only Issaquena County has reported no cases of the COVID-19.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Your Clarksdale Press Register will keep readers posted as we learn more information and as news changes. All stories about coronavirus are being offered free to the community and will not be put behind the Clarksdale Press Register paywall.
