The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) on Friday, May 8, reported 404 new cases of COVID-19 in Mississippi and 13 new deaths.
It is the first day since the coronavirus crisis began that the reported number of new COVID-19 cases topped the 400 mark in the Magnolia State.
MSDH noted that 54 of the new cases reported today were among residents in long-term care facilities, and that there are now 113 active outbreaks of COVID-19 in those facilities. An outbreak means there is one or more case among residents or staff.
The Health Department said three of today's reported deaths were from prior weeks and were identified through death certificate investigation.
The new statistics bring the total number of COVID-19 cases in the state since March 11 to 9,090, with 409 deaths. MSDH updates its map and statistics each morning with test results from the previous day.
The number of confirmed cases in Tallahatchie County remained unchanged at 12.
As of 10:32 a.m. Friday, there were 3,877,914 confirmed worldwide cases of COVID-19. The United States had the greatest number, at 1,259,777.
There had been 270,537 global deaths, 75,852 of which occurred in the U.S.
The number of recovered individuals totaled 1,296,603 worldwide, and 195,036 in the U.S.
MSDH presumes that 4,421 persons infected with the virus in Mississippi have recovered, as of a May 3 report. (MSDH updates this number weekly.) The figure includes people never hospitalized who have not tested positive for COVID-19 in 14 days or more. It also includes cases in which there was a known hospitalization, or hospitalization was unknown, and it has been 21 days or more since the case tested positive.
The reported COVID-19 case totals for area counties as of 6 p.m. Thursday are as follow, with the previous day’s totals in parenthesis and the number of COVID-19 related deaths in bold:
» Coahoma: 71 (70) 3
» Grenada: 45 (45) 2
» Lafayette: 98 (96) 3
» Leflore: 182 (180) 18
» Panola: 43 (43) 2
» Quitman: 16 (16)
» Sunflower: 63 (61) 3
» Tallahatchie: 12 (12) 1
» Yalobusha: 27 (25)
Tallahatchie County’s positive cases were reported to the public March 23 (1), March 24 (1), April 5 (1), April 13 (1), April 15 (2), April 16 (1), April 17 (1), April 22 (1), April 24 (2) and May 2 (1). The death was reported April 17.
MSDH continues to advise all Mississippi residents to cover their face (mouth and nose) with a non-medical grade mask or cloth when leaving the home to perform essential functions such as grocery shopping, filling prescriptions and in other public places where proper social distancing of 6 feet between persons is difficult to maintain.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), a significant portion of individuals with the coronavirus lack symptoms (asymptomatic) and can transmit the virus to others before showing symptoms just by speaking, coughing or sneezing.
A face mask need not be of the retail variety. A T-shirt, small towel or scarf folded and fastened with two rubber bands will work, according to the CDC.
Cloth face coverings should:
• fit snugly against the side of the face
• be secured with ties or ear loops
• include multiple layers of fabric
• allow for breathing with no restriction
• be able to be laundered and machine dried without damage or change to shape
The CDC offers additional tips on making, wearing and cleaning a cloth face mask covering at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth....
For the latest guidance and case updates for Mississippi, download the free MS Ready mobile app.
Additional information, including complete county-by-county case statistics, preventive recommendations and more, is available at the MSDH website at www.healthyms.com/covid-19.
MSDH maintains the Mississippi Coronavirus Hotline, which offers answers to questions about COVID-19. Call anytime: 877-978-6453.
