‘You can’t see it, but it’s real.’ COVID-19 kills 1, infects 4 others in one Coast family
Jimmie C. Taylor, a 45-plus year employee at Ingalls Shipbuilding and patriarch of his family, was the picture of health until he contracted the novel coronavirus.
The 76-year-old elevator supervisor at the Pascagoula shipyard hadn’t had any health problems in over 12 years when doctors corrected an issue he had with his thyroid.
“He didn’t take any medication,” his son, Tony Taylor said. “He was not on high blood pressure medicine. He did not have diabetes. He did his EKG and treadmill test and the doctor told him he was in better or as good a shape as a 30-year-old. I mean, there was nothing wrong with him.”
But the coronavirus hit Jimmie Taylor and his family hard.
1 death, and 5 positive cases
Five days after the April 20 call came from Singing River Health System confirming Jimmie Taylor had tested positive for COVID-19, his son found him dead on the bedroom floor of his home in Jackson County’s Polktown community.
The beloved founder of various social groups, known for his jovial spirit and ability to bring people together for fellowship and fun, apparently caught the virus from his wife, JoAnn Taylor, his family said.
She fell sick first after visiting one of their sons who had the virus, along with his wife and child in their hometown of Moss Point.
According to doctors at Singing River Health System, the Mississippi State Health Department and Gov. Tate Reeves, Moss Point has been a hot spot for coronavirus in Jackson County.
Over 70% of the 13,000 residents of Moss Point are black and COVID-19 has disproportionately affected black communities across the country.
Of the 8,207 cases and 342 deaths in Mississippi as of 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jackson County ranked sixth highest in the state for the number of cases — 270 and 9 deaths.
Thirty-eight of the cases and 1 death in Jackson County originated at long-term care facilities, including one in Moss Point, according to statewide totals and other data.
Six of those who have died of coronavirus at SRHS facilities were residents of Moss Point, according to data obtained by the Sun Herald.
At Ingalls shipyard in Pascagoula, 33 cases have been reported, though some of employees are out-of-state residents, mostly from nearby Alabama and Louisiana who commute to work each day.
A COVID-19 hot spot
The Sun Herald took a closer look at the number of coronavirus cases in Jackson County and obtained a breakdown of the number of positive cases by zip codes that were recorded in Jackson County through testing at Singing River Health System as of April 23.
Those numbers account for the tests SRHS conducted and do not include test results from the area performed at the Mississippi State Department of Health’s public laboratory.
As of April 23, Jackson County emergency services reported that SRHS had recorded 199 positive cases, with the majority from cities in Jackson County. Some people who tested positive at SRHS are residents who came from other cities and rural areas in Harrison, Hancock, Stone, George and Greene counties for testing.
Five were Alabama residents.
Here’s a breakdown of the number of positive cases SRHS has recorded by zip codes for cities and rural Jackson County from its testing:
- 98 cases: Moss Point
- 28 cases: Pascagoula
- 21 cases: Ocean Springs
- 12 cases: Gautier
- 8 cases: rural Jackson County
The residency of six other positive cases from SRHS could not be determined for the April 23 count, the data shows.
Jackson County is currently among the top 10 counties in the state for the number of COVID-19 cases.
A minority community
The majority of cases in Moss Point and throughout Jackson County have been traced back to a spread among relatives and friends gathering together for crawfish boils, barbecues and other gatherings.
But Moss Point Mayor Mario King was among the first to take action and close non-essential businesses.
King also criticized the governor for failing to take steps to protect residents early on by issuing an immediate shelter-in-place order statewide.
Since Moss Point was identified as a hot spot for coronavirus cases, the Jackson County chapter of the NAACP stepped in as well, walking neighborhoods and passing out fliers to encourage residents to comply with social distancing recommendations: remain 6 feet apart, gather in groups of 10 or less, wear personal protective gear and stay at home except for essential business.
“We’ve seen a reduction in cases in Moss Point,” Clark said. “We believe the warnings worked.”
How do hot spots happen?
So why are there such a high number of cases of coronavirus in Jackson County?
According to SRHS and MSDH officials, several factors come into play. SRHS CEO Lee Bond said those factors include:
- Higher per capita testing
- Demographic makeup, which includes a large industrial working class in Jackson County
- A larger number of residents per household in some hot spot areas
- Outbreaks in long-term care facilities
“In addition, there are many examples where we have traced cases to close-knit friends and families acting as caretakers or visitors in homes before the coronavirus awareness was prevalent,” Bond said.
“The good news is that, in spite of these factors that tie largely to the initial phases of the outbreak, thanks to a huge commitment by the hospital together with community leaders, churches and schools to spread awareness, we avoided the expected peak,” Bond said.
Social distancing at a funeral
Still, some residents are skeptical that the state and Jackson County won’t see another significant spike in coronavirus cases as the governor reopens the state.
Jimmie Taylor’s family plans to practice the safety recommendations to avoid further outbreaks among family, friends and others.
On Saturday, Taylor’s family gathered for his funeral in a pasture so they could stay 6 feet apart to remember a friend and father who loved riding four-wheelers and spending time with his family and friends.
Afterward, Taylor’s bronze coffin adorned in roses was lowered into his grave site at a Jackson County cemetery.
The Taylor family has a message for those who don’t think they can catch the deadly virus.
“The coronavirus is real,” son Tony Taylor said. “It is something that has touched our family, from the minute to the extreme. I’m a real live story here.
“You can have somebody . . . who is not on anything and in perfect health go from not having any symptoms to grave within a week because of COVID-19. I’m here to tell you, it’s real.
“I know you can’t see it. You can’t taste it and you can’t smell it, but it’s out there, and it’s very real, and people need to take heed to the precautions and do everything they can to protect themselves, to protect their families and to protect their community.
“Continuing to practice social distancing and taking the virus seriously is imperative.”
This story was originally published May 6, 2020 at 5:40 AM.
