COVID-19 Remains at ‘Medium’ Transmission Level But Numbers Down

By Alyssa Schnugg

News editor

alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com

Lafayette County remains at a “Medium Level” of COVID-19 transmission, according to the Center for Disease Control.

From July 28-Aug. 3, there were 128 new cases in Lafayette County, down from the previous week that has 156 new cases.

Data is updated weekly on Thursday evenings.

According to the Center for Disease Control, Lafayette County’s Community Level went from “Low” in May, to “Moderate” in June, up to “High” earlier this month, and now is back to “Medium.”

More than 30 Mississippi counties are currently designated as having “High” community levels of COVID-19, with the most being located in southern Mississippi.

One person in Lafayette County died due to COVID in the last week. It was the first COVID-19-related death reported since March.

CDC reports five Lafayette County residents were admitted to the hospital in the last seven days.

On Thursday, the MSDH reported 1,146 new cases across the state in the past 24 hours with one new death.

Residents in counties with medium COVID-19 activity should wear masks if they have any symptoms of COVID-19 or were recently exposed to someone with the virus. Those who are at high risk for more serious illness from COVID-19, should wear masks on public transportation and in crowded public areas, suggests the Mississippi State Department of Health.

If you have symptoms of COVID-19, get tested. Vaccinations are widely available for both adults and children as young as six months old.

No local mask mandates are currently in place in Oxford.

As of Monday, the University of Mississippi reported four new cases on campus in the last seven days, down from 11 new cases the week prior.

As of Thursday, there were nine active cases. Eight of the people who tested positive are faculty or staff and one was a student.

Monkeypox in Mississippi

The MSDH is also reporting six cases of monkeypox in Mississippi. Nationally, there are more than 7,000 cases as of Friday.

The U.S. declared monkeypox a public health emergency Thursday.

Monkeypox is transmitted mostly during close physical contact.

People with monkeypox get a rash that may be located on or near the genitals or could be on other areas like the hands, feet, chest, face, or mouth.

Monkeypox symptoms usually start within three weeks of exposure to the virus. If someone has flu-like symptoms, they will usually develop a rash 1-4 days later. Monkeypox can be spread from the time symptoms start until the rash has healed, all scabs have fallen off, and a fresh layer of skin has formed. The illness typically lasts 2-4 weeks. It’s rarely fatal.