With local residents reeling from the storms that passed through our area on Sunday, residents must continue to be aware of the COVID-19 pandemic and its potentially deadly consequences.
According to numbers released by the Mississippi State Department of Health today, the total number of cases reported in our state has increased to 3,087 with 111 deaths. That’s a surge of 145 cases and 13 deaths in two days. At least 60 long-term care facilities, like nursing homes, have reported cases in the state. The number of cases in the local area by cases confirmed and deaths, per the MSDH, is as follows:
*Forrest – 114, 2 deaths;
*Jasper – 14, 0 deaths;
*Jones – 40, 0 deaths;
*Lamar – 46, 1 death;
*Smith – 30, 1 death; and
*Wayne – 9, 0 deaths.
Based on data collected so far by the MSDH, the virus appears to have peaked, at least to this point, in our state between March 23-31.
Over 56 percent of the confirmed cases so far in Mississippi have been found in African American residents, with whites (36.4%) and other (7.4%) making up the remainder of the cases. Sixty-seven percent of the coronavirus related fatalities in Mississippi have been African Americans.
The number of COVID-19 cases broken down by age is:
*Under 18 – 76 cases;
*Ages 18-29 – 373 cases;
*Ages 30-39 – 454 cases;
*Ages 40-49 – 583 cases;
*Ages 50-59 – 586 cases;
*Ages 60-69 – 553 cases;
*Ages 70-79 – 298 cases;
*Ages 80-89 – 130 cases; and
*Age 90+ – 34 cases.
Individuals between the ages of 40 and 69 make up 55.8 percent of the total cases in the state, but only two percent of the cases among that group has proved fatal.
The three older groups carry the highest percentage of death per total cases: The 60-69 age group had 25 deaths; the 70-79 age group had 41 deaths; and the 90+ age group had 14 deaths, meaning over 40 percent of the oldest age group with the disease passed away from it. Thirteen percent of the group aged 80-89 has died from the virus.
Anyone with symptoms of fever, severe cough or severe chest pains – especially those who are older or in poor health – should make arrangements for testing with their doctor or one of the many healthcare providers now performing testing, says MSDH officials.
Governor Tate Reeves, who on Tuesday toured parts of the state hit by the storms, warns that COVID-19 is still a real threat to Mississippians. The governor’s “shelter in place” order remains in effect, and he will soon announce whether Mississippi’s schools will reopen after Friday or remain closed.