The numbers are getting better and people are still sick, but Mississippi and Coahoma County appear to be on the downside of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mississippi saw the curve trend down in July and saw the number of cases rise in October and While Coahoma County mimicked curve through July the community has seen the number of new cases stabilize.
As of Monday the disease was back at work, with 37 new deaths and 933 new cases reported in the state.
Mississippi reported several days of cases under 600 in early September, after routinely reporting over 1,000 new cases daily in late July and August.
As of this week, Mississippi has reported 128,138 cases of coronavirus and 3,480 deaths since its first case was reported March 14. Coahoma County has reported 1,320 cases since its first case was reported March 18.
Coahoma County’s death toll from the disease has increased to 37 as the disease makes a second round of the community, particularly with the elderly and those with underlying conditions.
The county saw a dramatic increase in the number of cases in Long Term Care (LTC) facilities in July and that number stands at 106 cases of today. Two deaths were first reported in local nursing homes on Aug. 5 and that number is now seven.
Frantic testing in the community just before school started across the state saw the number of cases in the community and Mississippi skyrocket. The number has also been linked to the end of state and federal assistance for that ran out in late July. Those who test positive for the disease can get an extra two weeks – and sometimes longer – of unemployment assistance if they test positive for COVID-19.
Oddly Coahoma County has only recorded 37 deaths since the disease was reported locally just under nine months ago. That fatality figure is well below the percentage of counties reporting a similar number of cases.
Divided by Mississippi’s 82 counties the infection rate divides out to 1,562 cases per county. The fatality rate factors out to 42.4 per county.
As of Monday, 5.83-percent of the county’s 22,628 residents have contracted the coronavirus and only 0.16-percent of the community has died from the disease.
The Mississippi State Department of Health listed Coahoma County and 36 other counties as “Hot Spot” counties. Most of those counties are in the Mississippi Delta, Jackson and population center across the state such as Tupelo, Southaven, Starkville, Meridian, Hattiesburg and the Gulf Coast.
Those who test positive are being quarantined for two weeks and family members and co-workers can also be quarantined.
Several convenience stores and restaurants in the area have closed after staff became infected. Major grocery stores, retail outlets and fast food restaurants remain open and are hiring replacement workers.
The pandemic began 239 days ago and at this point 99.8-percent of Coahoma County residents who have caught coronavirus have gotten well.
