1,942 new COVID-19 cases, 33 new deaths reported Saturday in Mississippi
201 new cases and 3 new deaths were reported in South Mississippi on Saturday.
JACKSON, Miss. (WLOX) - In Mississippi, there were 1,942 new cases of COVID-19 and 33 new deaths reported Saturday in the entire state.
On Dec. 5, MSDH reported 201 new cases and three new deaths for the six southernmost counties.
| County | # of Confirmed Cases | # of Deaths | # of LTC Cases | # of LTC Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George | 1393 | 26 | 47 | 6 |
| Hancock | 1341 | 43 | 67 | 12 |
| Harrison | 7732 | 115 | 387 | 38 |
| Jackson | 6808 | 131 | 194 | 20 |
| Pearl River | 1709 | 71 | 118 | 24 |
| Stone | 859 | 15 | 58 | 9 |
The new cases are reported in the following: Harrison County (108), Jackson County (34), Pearl River County (28), Hancock County (13), George County (10), and Stone County (8).
In the six coastal counties, a new death that occurred between Nov. 28 and Dec. 4 was reported in Pearl River County. One additional death in both Hancock and Harrison counties that occurred between Oct. 22- Nov. 25 were also identified through death certificate reports.
*The graphics in this story will be updated once they’re available on the MSDH website.
Hospitalizations
As of Dec. 3, there were 1,068 people hospitalized in Mississippi with confirmed infections. Of those, 276 were in the ICU and 156 were on ventilators. The majority of people who get COVID-19 will not require hospitalization, say health officials.
Mississippi investigates both probable and confirmed cases and deaths, said MSDH. As of Dec. 4 at 6pm, there have been a total of 163,458 cases investigated, which includes 126,751 confirmed cases. There have been 3,949 deaths investigated, including 3,395 confirmed deaths.
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.
Recoveries
As of Nov. 29, there are 128,746 people who are presumed to have recovered from COVID-19.
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.
Pediatric Cases, including MIS-C, and Underlying Conditions
Cases among young adults ages 18 to 29 are highest, warns MSDH. The majority of pediatric cases are in children between the ages of 11-17.
Mississippi reported its first pediatric death from COVID-19 on Sept. 1, 2020. Officials said the child was between the ages of 1-5.
Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a rare but serious condition associated with COVID-19 that causes inflammation in many body parts, including the heart and other vital organs. Those aged 20 and younger diagnosed with MIS-C have either been infected with COVID-19 or been around something who has COVID-19
Underlying conditions are also reported in many of the deaths that have resulted from coronavirus complications
Long-term Care Facilities
A total of 8,015 patients diagnosed with the virus are currently in long-term care facilities throughout the state as of Dec. 4. In all, 1,482 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 Nov. 28, a total of 1,366,833 tests have been done statewide, which includes the number of tests by MSDH and the number of tests given by other providers. That includes 1,104,632 PCR tests, 51,554 antibody tests, and 210,647 antigen 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 89,357 tests as of Dec. 4. Of those, 10,131 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 wanting to be tested for COVID-19 can 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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