Mississippi reports 853 new coronavirus cases, 15 deaths

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi reported 853 new cases of coronavirus Friday, and a “modest uptick” in hospitalizations related to the virus, the state health officer said.

“One day does not make a trend - but it should remind us to keep our guard up,” Dr. Thomas Dobbs tweeted. “We are a long way from herd immunity.”

The state Health Department said Friday that Mississippi, with a population of about 3 million, has had at least 89,175 reported cases and at least 2,670 deaths from COVID-19 as of Thursday evening. That's an increase of 15 deaths from the day before, with five occurring between Aug. 26 and Sept. 4 and identified using death certificates.

The state reported that 545 people were hospitalized with the virus, an increase over the 522 patients reported the day before. Still, the numbers represent a significant decrease from Aug. 21, when 821 people were hospitalized with coronavirus in Mississippi.

The true number of virus infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested and studies suggest people can be infected without feeling sick. The virus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most but can be more severe or fatal for some, especially older adults and those with underlying health conditions.

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