209 new COVID-19 cases, 9 new deaths reported Friday in Mississippi

South Mississippi reported one new case and no new deaths from the virus.
Dr. Jesse Penico, an Infectious Disease Specialist from Memorial Hospital at Gulfport, joins us to talk about the very latest on COVID-19 in Mississippi.
Updated: Jun. 5, 2020 at 1:33 PM CDT
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JACKSON, Miss. (WLOX) - There were 209 new cases of COVID-19 and 9 new deaths reported Friday throughout the entire state of Mississippi.

In the six South Mississippi counties, there was only one new case reported Friday, and that was in a George County long-term care facility. One previously reported case was removed from Harrison County’s total. And two previously reported cases were removed from Jackson County’s long-term care facility case total.

No new deaths were reported Friday in South Mississippi.

County# of Confirmed Cases# of Deaths# of Cases in LTC Facilities# of Deaths in LTC facilities
George30210
Hancock901283
Harrison268732
Jackson31415385
Pearl River212314611
Stone32000

In all, Mississippi has reported a total of 16,769 confirmed COVID-19 infections and 803 deaths as a result of the virus.

South Mississippi reported one new case and no new deaths from the virus on Friday.
South Mississippi reported one new case and no new deaths from the virus on Friday.(MSDH)

Mississippi investigates both probable and confirmed cases and deaths, said MSDH. As of June 4, there have been a total of 16,769 cases investigated, which includes 115 probable cases. There have been 803 deaths investigated, including 16 probable deaths.

Confirmed cases and deaths are generally determined by positive PCR tests, which detect the presence of ongoing coronavirus infection.

Probable cases are those who test positive by other testing methods such as antibody or antigen, and have recent symptoms consistent with COVID-19, indicating a recent infection.

Probable deaths are those individuals with a designation of COVID-19 as a cause of death on the death certificate, but where no confirmatory testing was performed.

[ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: View a list of results for all Mississippi counties here]

COVID-19 Cases and Deaths of Illness Onset through June 4, 2020
COVID-19 Cases and Deaths of Illness Onset through June 4, 2020(MSDH)

Recoveries

State health officials estimate 11,203 Mississippians have now recovered from COVID-19. That total does not include cases still under investigation. MSDH updates the number of recoveries weekly.

Number of Presumed Recovered as of May 31, 2020
Number of Presumed Recovered as of May 31, 2020(MSDH)

In order to determine the presumed number of people who have recovered from the virus, state health officials say the patient must meet one of two criteria. For patients who were NOT hospitalized, they are considered recovered if they have not tested positive for the virus after 14 days. For patients who were hospitalized or if hospitalization was unknown, they are presumed recovered if it has been 21 days or more since they tested positive.

Hospitalizations

The majority of people who get COVID-19 will not require hospitalization, say health officials. As of June 4, 2020, 16.1% of people diagnosed with the virus had to be hospitalized. As of June 4, there were 394 people hospitalized with confirmed infections in Mississippi. Of those, 84 patients are on ventilators and 149 are in ICU.

COVID-19 Hospitalizations reported by Mississippi hospitals through 6/4/20
COVID-19 Hospitalizations reported by Mississippi hospitals through 6/4/20(MSDH)

Weekly High Case and High Incidence Counties

The state is now ranking counties by weekly cases, and by incidence (cases proportional to population). All tables are updated weekly.

COVID-19 High Case MS Counties Over 1 Week Period, May 25-May 31, 2020
COVID-19 High Case MS Counties Over 1 Week Period, May 25-May 31, 2020(MSDH)
COVID-19 High Incidence MS Counties Over 1 Week Period, May 25-May 31, 2020
COVID-19 High Incidence MS Counties Over 1 Week Period, May 25-May 31, 2020(MSDH)

Underlying Conditions, Race, and Age

Underlying conditions are also reported in many of the deaths that have resulted from coronavirus complications. Most deaths from COVID-19 have occurred in patients with hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.

COVID-19 underlying conditions in deaths by race/ethnicity through 6/4/20
COVID-19 underlying conditions in deaths by race/ethnicity through 6/4/20(MSDH)
COVID-19 cases and deaths by age group through 6/4/20
COVID-19 cases and deaths by age group through 6/4/20(MSDH)

Long-term Care Facilities

A total of 1,969 patients diagnosed with the virus are currently in long-term care facilities throughout the state. In all, 410 people diagnosed while in long-term care facilities have died.

MSDH says: “Long-term care (LTC) facilities like nursing homes are considered high risk locations because their residents are older or in poor health. Even one case of COVID-19 in these facilities among residents or employees is considered an outbreak. We investigate residents, staff and close contacts of infected individuals for possible exposure.”

Testing

As of June 4, a total of 201,607 tests have been done statewide, which includes the number of tests by MSDH and the number of tests given by other providers. That includes 193,008 PCR tests and 8,662 antibody tests.

PCR testing detects current, active COVID-19 infection in an individual. Antibody (serology) testing identifies individuals with past COVID-19 infection based on antibodies they develop one to three weeks after infection.

In all, MSDH labs have conducted 35,449 tests as of June 4, 2020. Of those, 2,955 have shown positive results.

Drive-through clinics for testing are popping up across the state. However, health officials are asking that you call ahead to make sure you meet the qualifications for testing.

Anyone experiencing symptoms related to COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, who feels they should be tested must first go through a free screening from a UMMC clinician through the C Spire Health UMMC Virtual COVID-19 Triage telehealth smartphone app.

[ LIST: COVID-19 testing sites now open across Mississippi ]

You can also complete a pre-screening by calling one of the following hotlines:

  • Memorial Hospital Coronavirus Hotline: 228-867-5000
  • Singing River Health System Coronavirus Hotline: 228-809-5044
  • MS Dept. of Health Coronavirus Hotline: 877-978-6453.

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