The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus COVID-19 in Lincoln County has only risen by 1 since Tuesday to 330.

The county’s death toll has not climbed in that time and remains at 32, according to numbers published by the Mississippi State Department of Health.

MSDH’s latest reports show one active outbreak in a long term care facility in Lincoln County, a confirmed case among staff at Lincoln Residential Center. A total of 93 active and resolved cases had been reported to date for LTC facilities with 25 deaths, unchanging from previous reports. Of those 93 cases, 13 were black residents, 78 were white and two were listed as unknown. Of the 25 deaths, two were black residents and 23 were white.

LTC facilities include nursing homes, personal care homes, assisted living homes and intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disability.

No residential care facility in the county had an outbreak. Residential care facilities include psychiatric or chemical dependency residential treatment centers and long-term acute care facilities.

Statewide, Mississippi has reported 20,641 cases as of Thursday — 489 more cases than Tuesday — and 938 deaths — 33 more than Tuesday.

Of the 938 who have died in the state from coronavirus-related issues, only two had no preexisting underlying health problems. The associated underlying conditions included hypertension (the top factor), cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, renal disease, lung disease, neurologic conditions, liver disease or an immune system that was otherwise compromised.

The number of people hospitalized statewide for COVID-19 as of Thursday was 266 with confirmed infections and 202 with suspected infections. Of these, 161 patients were in intensive care units and 100 were on ventilators.

King’s Daughters Medical Center had 270 patients who tested positive for coronavirus as of Thursday afternoon, up by 17 from Tuesday. At that time, 1,740 tests had been submitted to the state.

At least 15,323 people in the state are presumed to have recovered from COVID-19.

Statewide results

As of Thursday, the 97th day of COVID-19 cases being reported in Mississippi, 248,927 coronavirus tests had been administered across the state — 238,574 for active virus and 10,353 antibody tests to determine whether an individual had previously had the virus.

The number includes every resident and staff member at each of the 211 nursing homes within the state — 13,911 residents and 17,324 staff members — tested during a 14-day period over the last two weeks of May. Of these, 676 tested positive for COVID-19.

Prevention and testing

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have stated no vaccine is currently available to prevent coronavirus COVID-19. The best way to prevent illness, according to the CDC, is to avoid being exposed.

The virus is thought to spread mainly from person to person, within about 6 feet.

It is believed to spread through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks.

Both MSDH and KDMC offer testing for the virus. Anyone who wishes to be tested at an MSDH center must complete a prescreening through the department’s smartphone apps or by calling 877-978-6453.

Anyone who wants to be tested by KDMC should call 601-835-9455 prior to visiting the hospital’s testing site, located behind the emergency room.

The site is open 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Screening is for individuals age 12 and older.