Several MS legislators infected with COVID-19, Reeves isolating: Covid-19 weekly summary 6JUL2020

Northeast Miss. – Several members of the Mississippi legislature have tested positive for coronavirus as the pandemic continues to surge in the state. House Speaker Phillip Gun announced yesterday that he had been infected. He said he been tested after he’d had contact with other legislators, who had tested positive for COVID-19.

Gunn said in his statement, “I feel very fortunate. I don’t really have very many symptoms.” He said he’d talked with state health officer Dr. Thomas E. Dobbs and was going to follow the doctor’s advice to self- quarantine. Gunn asked all Mississippians to follow the precautions already urged by Dr. Dobbs, such as avoiding crowds and wearing masks if it is necessary to be with other people briefly.

Also, Governor Tate Reeves announced today he had been exposed to COVID-19. Reeves said he has been tested, is isolating at home awaiting test results. Reeves blamed what he called “the liberal media” for misplacing the blame for the resurgence of the pandemic.

Reeves ordered Mississippi “re-opened” contrary to public health guidelines that COVID-19 should have declined for at least two weeks before strict precautions were abandoned.

COVID-19 Week of June 30 – July 6, 2020

STATEWIDE MISSISSIPPI

•  Mississippi had 4690 new COVID-19 cases and 55 new deaths this week, for a total of 31,257,cases and 1114 deaths since reporting began on March 11, 2020. These reports represent increases of 17.7% and 5.2% respectively. This compares to 19.2% and 8.3% last week. The trend in new cases and deaths is down from last week, but higher than two weeks ago – so still higher and fluctuating.
• Misissippi’s rate of 374 deaths per million of population puts it in the 13th most lethal position in the US, one place safer than week’s 12th position.
• Hospitalized Patients:
  • Mississippi hospitals averaged 598 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 during the week. This is a substantial increase over the 516 and 481 over the two prior weeks. Hospitalizations trending up for four consecutive weeks.
  •  COVID-19 patients requiring ICU care averaged 166 patients, up from 154 daily last week’s and 160 patients two weeks ago. Trending is up for ICU admissions statewide, and some hospitals’ ICU resources and staff are beginning to be stressed in a variety of communities.
  • Ventilators were required for a daily average of  91 patients, the same as last week (ending June 29). This remains below two prior weeks of 100 patients during both the weeks ending June 15 and June 22nd.
• STATEWIDE Long Term Care (LTC) facilities:
  • As of 7-5,  102 LTC facilities statewide reported active coronavirus outbreaks, compared to 84 facilities for the week prior.
  • Both total cases and new cases percentages are are down slightly- 0.9% lower for total cases; 0.5% lower for new cases.
  • Mississippi’s LTC facilities accounted for 8.8% of total cases statewide (2759 of 31,257).
  • New cases in MS LTC facilities were 3.9% of the state’s total (185 of 4690).
  • Total deaths’ percentage due to LTC was stable this week at 48.7%; new deaths’ percentage significantly up at 47.3 % compared to 34.6% two weeks ago.
  • Mississippi’s LTC facilities accounted for 48.7% of total deaths statewide (542 of 1114).
  • New deaths in MS LTC facilities were 47.3% of the state’s total (26 of 55).

NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI (NEMS)

• As of 6/28, NEMS had at total of 547 new cases, for a total of 3313, up 19.8% from last week. So now, three weeks of increasing percentages of new cases.
•  NEMS had a total of 12 new deaths, for a total of 129, up 10.3% – up significantly from the two previous weeks.
•  NEMS Long Term Care (LTC) facilities:
  • In NEMS 12 LTC facilities in 6 Counties have active outbreaks of COVID-19, this is compares to the previous week’s 14 facilities in 7 counties.
  • In NEMS, LTC facilities accounted for 10.6% of total cases (351 of 3313) and 58.1% of total deaths (75 of 129).  Total cases are down 2% and deaths are essentially stable.
  • In NEMS, LTC Facilities accounted for 1.1% of new cases (6 of 547) and 58.3% of new deaths (7 of 12). Both of these percentages are substantially lower than last week’s.
  • According to MSDH data, in NEMS, Tippah county still has no cases of COVID-19 in LTC facilities.
  • Accoarding to MSDH data, there have been no deaths of residents in LTC facilities in Benton, Marshall, Tippah and Tishomingo counties.

The Take-Away For This Week

Despite some harrowingly high individual days, both new cases and new deaths rose by lower percentages than in the preceding week. However, NEMiss.news believes that some death reports may be lagging several days behind in the MSDH reporting pipeline.

Mississippi continues to be among the many states whose COVID-19 figures are rising. Several things have been singled out for blame, mostly large gatherings with inadequate precautions being taken on holidays, family occasions, religious gatherings, etc.

Mississippi’s 374 deaths per million is far higher than all its sister states, with the exception of Louisiana, at 710 deaths per million. Arkansas is at 95; Tennesses is at 96; and Alabama is at 205.

According to state and national political leaders, rising cases are due to more testing, protests and riots, and liberal media. Dr. Thomas Dobbs, MS State Health Officer and most other health-care officials do not agree. They claim a relatively low number of cases attached to protesting crowds, marches, etc. Dobbs points out that the Mississippi transmission rate is rising. He states that the amount of testing is taken into consideration in the rate, but not the reason for the increase. He refers to the problem as being largely the “silly things” Mississippians insist upon doing.

State Health Officer, Dr. Thomas Dobbs reports that several commuities’ hospitals are becoming stressed due to COVID-19 admissions requiring ICU and/or ventilator services. Resources can be shuffled from spots that have spares for now, but if the statewide surge continues, this will leave some areas with inadequate resources.

Northeast Mississippi (NEMS) continues to have a higher rate of increase in new cases than the state as a whole, a 19.8% increase versus the state’s 17.7%. LTC facilities account for 3.9% of the state’s increase, but only 1.1% of the NEMS increase. Except for Tupelo, where masks have been mandated, it is possible to shop in some NEMS areas and see few to no signs of precautionary measures.

Again, NEMiss.news reminds readers that there is no downside to being cautious.

Take care of yourself; if you are able, give a hand to someone who needs assistance.

Coronavirus is not a joke or a hoax: http://newalbanyunionco.com/this-is-no-joke-people-get-your-head-out-ofthe-sand/