The latest numbers released by the Mississippi Department of Health continue to show the alarming increase of the coronavirus. The numbers keep soaring and showing no signs of slowing down.
On Friday, the state hit a record high with 5,023 new cases of the potentially deadly virus. On Monday the number of new cases confirmed over the weekend had grown to 7,839 cases.
To show the rapid rate of the virus spreading, the week of Aug. 3 through Aug. 9, a total of 18,479 new cases were confirmed. One week later, the number has escalated to 23,760 cases, an increase of more than 5,000 cases. The total number of deaths, more than doubled from the previous week. This week’s number is 195 compared to 95 last week.
An eighth-grade student at Raleigh High School succumbed to the virus over the weekend. Mkayla Robinson, 13, died within days after being diagnosed with the sickness, according to Mississippi Today. Smith County Schools started the school year without a mask mandate on Aug. 6, before requiring masks on Aug. 10.
The health department is strongly urging everyone to get vaccinated, as most of the current cases and deaths involve people who are not vaccinated. Vaccinations are free of charge and available at most pharmacies. For youth ages 12 to 17, the only vaccine approved is the Pfizer vaccine.
In this Saturday’s edition of The Columbian-Progress, the topic of the monoclonal antibody (MAB) treatment for the virus will be covered.
