Many of the restrictions imposed on us through government orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic have been lifted, but that does not mean that the novel coronavirus has gone away.
How much of a threat is it? Well, it depends on who you want to believe.
As of Tuesday night, the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center showed online that worldwide, there have been 6,382,952 confirmed cases of the virus, impacting 188 countries and regions. The total global death count attributed to COVID-19 was listed at 380,318 people.
The United States was the frontrunner in total numbers of cases and deaths, with there being 1,831,821 cases and 106,181 deaths. Those figures far and away outdistance the nations reporting the second greatest number of cases (Brazil, 555,383) and deaths (the United Kingdom, 39,452).
Mississippi has recorded 16,020 confirmed cases and 767 deaths, according to a Tuesday update from the Mississippi State Department of Health.
While most media outlets tend to list infections and deaths first — after all, they are the most troubling — the statistics do reflect a lot of good news, too.
Worldwide, 2,731,342 people previously infected with COVID-19 have recovered, according to the Johns Hopkins database. The number of people who have gotten over the virus was listed at 463,868 in the United States and, according to MSDH, 11,203 in the Magnolia State.
Tallahatchie County had 29 cases and one death as of Monday evening. Recovery statistics are not available on a county level.
The growth rate of new cases worldwide has slowed tremendously, but researchers and health experts expect a marked uptick in the incidence come fall flu season.
The point is, we are not out of the woods yet. The virus is still active and spreading. Many people who are infected do not show outward symptoms or they show delayed symptoms, meaning that they might have the virus and spread it to others with no one being the wiser until it is too late.
As the communities of Tallahatchie County join their counterparts across the state and around the nation and world in reopening, resuming some sense of normalcy in life, we should continue to practice preventive measures.
The reality is, more and more people will get lax about wearing a face mask, practicing social distancing and washing or sanitizing their hands frequently.
Summer is two weeks and two days away. Everyone is tired of stressing and sick of being cooped up. We all deserve some carefree, enjoyable time.
That said, we should use care and common sense.
