Coronavirus by the numbers: The pandemic’s impact in Mississippi and on the Gulf Coast
The first case of the coronavirus in Mississippi was reported March 11, 2020 and the numbers provided by Mississippi State Department of Health give a snapshot of a year of the pandemic a year later.
Here is a “by-the-numbers” look at the pandemic in Mississippi and the six counties of South Mississippi.
Mississippi cases and deaths
▪ 299,887 people in the state have tested positive for COVID-19 through March 11.
▪ 6,883 died from it, or 2.3% of those who tested positive.
▪ With a population of 2.976 million people, 10% of residents tested positive and 0.23% died from COVID-19.
South Mississippi cases and deaths
▪ 41,774 people in the six counties of South Mississippi tested positive
▪ 812 people died of it, or 1.9% of those who tested positive.
▪ With a population of 491,305 people, 8.5% of residents tested positive and 0.16% died from COVID-19.
By county:
George — 9.7% of residents tested positive, 1.9% who tested positive died, 0.19% of total population died from COVID-19
Hancock — 7.6% of residents tested positive, 2.2% who tested positive died, 0.17% of total population died from COVID-19
Harrison — 8.3% of residents tested positive, 1.7% who tested positive died, 0.14% of total population died from COVID-19
Jackson — 9.0% of residents tested positive, 1.8% of those died, 0.14% of total population died from COVID-19
Pearl River — 7.7% of residents tested positive, 3.1% of those died, 0.24% of total population died from COVID-19
Stone — 9.5% of residents tested positive, 1.7% of those died, 0.16% of total population died from COVID-19
South Mississippi — 8.5% of residents tested positive, 1.9% of those died, 0.16% of total population died from COVID-19
Peaks in cases and deaths
By seven-day average the summer and winter peaks in Mississippi were:
▪ Average of 1,381 new cases added per day on July 26
▪ Average of 2,332 new cases a day on Jan. 10
▪ Average of 35 deaths daily on Aug. 5
▪ Average of 51 deaths daily on Jan. 17. It was the only day during the pandemic that the seven-day average topped 50 deaths per day.
▪ The peak cases in Mississippi was 3,500 active cases on Jan. 8.
▪ The summer peak in South Mississippi was 184 cases a day on July 30.
▪ The winter peak in South Mississippi was 381 average cases a day on Jan. 13.
Hospitalizations for COVID-19
The numbers for those hospitalized in Mississippi with the coronavirus through March 8 are about a quarter of what they were two months earlier:
- Positive cases in hospital — 313. Peak was 1,444 on Jan. 4
- COVID-19 cases in ICU — 94. Peak was 360 on Jan. 12
- COVID-19 cases on ventilators — 53. Peak was 230 on Jan. 16
- 8% with COVID-19 have been hospitalized, 92% not hospitalized
Mississippi COVID-19 cases by age
(through March 8)
- Age 25-39 — 65,745
- Age 50-64 — 61,794
- Age 65+ — 49,558
- Age 40-49 — 44,245
- Age 18-24 — 35,637
- Age 5-17 — 31,838
- Age 0-4 — 6,586
Mississippi deaths by age
(through March 8)
- Age 65+ - 5,251
- Age 50-64 — 1,198
- Age 40-49 — 241
- Age 25-39 — 122
- Age 18-24 — 17
- Age 5-17 — 1
- Age 0-4 — 1
COVID-19 Cases by gender
▪ 56% female, 43% male, 0.6% unknown
At the beginning of the pandemic, on March 20, 2020, the breakdown was 66% female and 34% male.
Mississippi is 51.5% female, 48.5% male.
COVID-19 cases by race and gender
▪ Women — 62,860 white, 49,065 Black
▪ Men — 51,409 white, 31,279 Black
COVID-19 deaths by race
- White 55%
- Black 41%
- Other — 1.6%
Mississippi’s population is: White 59%, Black 38%, Asian 1%
Long-term care facility numbers
▪ 10,406 residents and staff of long-term care centers in Mississippi have tested positive for the coronavirus and 1,963 have died, or 19%.
▪ In South Mississippi, 1,125 people in long-term care centers tested positive for COVID-19, and 174 died of it, or 15.5%.
▪ In South Mississippi, the death rate for those who tested positive was 8.5%, including those in long-term care facilities.
Vaccinations
The first vaccine in Mississippi was given on Dec. 14. Through March 11 there are:
▪ First doses — 558,944
▪ Fully vaccinated — 312,058
▪ 19% of Mississippi residents have had the first dose and 10.5% percent are fully vaccinated.
▪ About 132,000 vaccinations were given the last two weeks in Mississippi. About 7% of those with appointments were no-shows, according to MSDH
Vaccinations by race
▪ One or more doses — White 66%, Black 26%, Asian 1%
▪ Fully vaccinated — White 184,985, Black 55,959, Asian 3,411
▪ Mississippi’s population is: White 59% Black 38% Black, Asian 1%
COVID-10 tests
2,472,673 COVID-19 tests were given by MSDH through March 7.
Estimated recoveries
283,953 people in Mississippi are presumed to have recovered from the coronavirus through March 8.
This story was originally published March 11, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
