Zero deaths reported today, trends largely downward: Covid Weekly summary 08Sept2020

COVID-19: Week of September 1 – 8, 2020

STATEWIDE MISSISSIPPI

Mississippi had 4429 new COVID-19 cases and 112 new deaths this week, for a total of 87,379 cases and 2585 deaths since reporting began on March 11, 2020. The rate of new case increase (5.3% ) dropped from 5.8% last week. This gives Mississippi its second straight week of declining case numbers.
Today’s report of 0 new deaths is the first since March 11, when records began for the pandemic. Additionally, for this entire past week, statewide death totals were less than the week before, increasing at only 4.5% compared to last week’s 10%. So, after week before last’s uptick, Mississippi’s deaths are again declining.
Mississippi’s rate of 869* deaths per million of population was a 4.5% increase over last week. Having now surpassed DC, MS has moved up into the 7th most lethal position, surpassed in deaths per million by only LA, NY, NJ, MA, CT, and RI.
Mississippi’s rate of 29,360* total COVID-19 cases per million keeps it in the nation’s 3rd highest position, behind only Florida and Louisiana.
Statewide Hospitalized Patients:
- As of Tuesday, September 8, the MSDH hospital reports are current only to 9-4-2020: therefore only 5 days are included in this summary
- Mississippi is continuing its downward trend to its 6th week, with 643 COVID-19 patients requiring hospitalization thru 9-4-2020. This is down from 691 last week.
- The daily average of COVID-19 patients requiring ICU continues its 4 week drop to 185 patients this week, from 218 on the previous weekly report.
- Patients requiring ventilators dropped for the fourth week to a 113 average daily, down from last week’s 117.
- STATEWIDE Long Term Care (LTC) facilities:
  - As of 9-7, 150 LTC facilities statewide reporting active coronavirus outbreaks.
  - There was a strong increase in the raw number of new coronavirus cases this past week in LTC. Total LTC New cases rose by 523, compared to 115 last week. Statewide this past week, LTC facilities accounted for almost 12% (up from 2.5%) of all new cases (523 of 4429 cases). This is a very sharp rise after having had 2 weeks of downward figures attributable to Long Term Care.
  - The percentage of new statewide deaths attributable to LTC was sharply up this week, at 63.4% (71 of 112). This breaks a downward trend of several weeks.

NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI (NEMS):

As of September 7th, Northeast Mississippi had 1138 new COVID-19 cases, for a total of 13,316 cases, an increase of 9.3 %, down slightly from last week’s 9.6%. This is the 5th week of downward percentages, but NEMS still continues to outpace statewide averages. Statewide, new cases were up only 5.3% from the previous week.
NEMS’s total deaths reached 346, having increased by 21 this week. There were 17 deaths in the general population, 4 in Long Term Care. The 21 new deaths represents a 6.5% increase over last week -considerably better than the 14% of the week before.
NEMS Long Term Care (LTC) facilities:
- On Sept 7th, 13 NEMS counties had active outbreaks in residents in 35 LTC facilities. This is up only by one facility from last week.
- Northeast MS’s 4 new deaths in LTC facilities compares to 19 deaths for each of the previous 2 report periods. Total deaths in all NEMS facilities are 169.
- Three Northeast Mississippi counties had deaths this past week and surpassed the state’s average rate of increase (4.5%) in deaths.
  - Lafayette had 2 deaths (8.6% increase)
  - Marshall had 1 death (16.7% increase)
  - Tishomingo had 1 death (6.9% increase)
- This week, for the first time in several weeks, Northeast Mississippi’s new cases and deaths in LTC facilities rose more slowly than the statewide average. However, the overall rate throughout Northeast Ms is still higher than the state as a whole, as the general public sector of NEMS still surpasses state rates.
  - State cases rose 5.3%; NEMS rose 9.3%.
  - State deaths rose 4.5%; NEMS rose 6.5%
- Benton County has no current active outbreaks
- Benton and Tippah counties still have had no LTC facility residents’ deaths attributed to COVID-19.

The Take-Away For This Week

The entire state of Mississippi may be breathing a little easier (in spite of wearing their masks) right now with generally flattening curves for new cases and deaths.

Today’s report of no new deaths is the first such news since early March. Though most areas are definitely trending downward, a lag in reporting related to Labor Day may have contributed to the zero reports.

Nursing home restrictions are being loosened to allow for outdoor visitation. Executive orders regarding masks, social distancing in businesses and other events are apparently remaining in effect until at least September 14.

Today’s raw number decreases in cases and deaths, as compared to last week’s report, are welcome news to all. They substantiate the (mostly) downward trends percentages of increase we’ve been seeing for several weeks. Hospital statistics are also declining.

Because of mask mandates and social distancing requirements, and possibly also due to the nature of the (COVID-19) beast, we seem to be generally bobbing our way towards a better situation. However, we all need to maintain awareness of what is needed to keep ourselves going in the right direction. There could still be consequences arising from the Labor Day holiday and winter is approaching.

One dark cloud on the horizon is related to rising statistics in long term care facilities and counties with colleges. Don’t forget that they led the upward trending for a long while, then planed out and started trending downward. Then the general population followed suit. Now LTC facilities appear headed back up again.

Additionally, Dr. Dobbs said today that counties with colleges are seeing case increases and that one person under the age of 20 did die.

Vulnerable people in northeast Mississippi should continue extra precautions, as increased cases and deaths are largely due to issues of behavior. Check your county statistics and know how they stand. Daily reports are available by county from the MSDH.

As always, if you are vulnerable, continue to take care of yourself in any way you see fit. If you are able, give assistance to someone who needs it.

*statistics from WorldOMeter as of day of posting

School reports by county: https://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/resources/10574.pdf

MS Executive Orders: https://www.sos.ms.gov/Education-Publications/Pages/Executive-Orders.aspx