A woman in her 50s has become the 48th person to die of COVID-19 in Leflore County.
She died Monday at Greenwood Leflore Hospital, according to Christine Hemphill, a hospital spokeswoman. The patient had multiple underlying health problems, Hemphill said.
The death was reported Tuesday by the Mississippi State Department of Health.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.
The woman was Black, as were 38 others to die of COVID-19 in Leflore County. Black residents account for 81% of the county’s deaths from the virus.
There were 611 new cases and 11 new deaths added to Mississippi’s totals Tuesday.
The state has now recorded almost 23,000 cases of COVID-19 and 989 deaths since the outbreak began in March.
As of Tuesday morning, five patients were being treated for the virus in Greenwood Leflore Hospital’s COVID-19 unit. Three were on ventilators to help them breathe.
Leflore County has the third-most deaths of the state’s 82 counties. Lauderdale County leads with 77, followed by Neshoba County with 60.
Mississippi's COVID-19 cases and deaths as of June 22, 2020
