The state of Mississippi had 14,372 cases of COVID-19, of which 693 deaths were attributed as of Wednesday, according to statistics from the Mississippi State Department of Health. In Pearl River County, 31 people out of the reported 206 cases have died of COVID-19. Pearl River County has the fourth highest number of COVID-19 deaths out of the 82 counties in the state. There have been 11 deaths in Pearl River County involving patients at long-term care facilities.

Issaquena County remains the only Mississippi County with no reported cases.

As of May 27, 7,219 cases of COVID-19 were reported in African American residents. There have been 346 deaths attributed to the virus, 52.3 percent, reported in African American Mississippians. There are 3,737 reported COVID-19 cases in white Mississippi residents resulting in 285 deaths, making up 43.1 percent of COVID-19 attributed deaths. The remaining deaths were attributed to other ethnicities—3.2 percent to American Indian or Alaska Natives and 1.4 percent to Hispanics, MSDH reports.

Underlying conditions have been contributing factors in difficulties related to COVID-19 cases. Hypertension has been the most frequent underlying condition. Of the patients who died who had hypertension, 179 of the deaths were attributed to white Mississippians and 224 of these deaths were attributed to African American Mississippians.

Other risk factors include cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, renal disease and neurological conditions.

In each of these categories, a higher number of African Americans died than white Mississippians except in the categories of neurological conditions and liver disease.

According to statistics from MSDH, deaths categorized in age groups are as follows: two deaths in the 18-29 age group; 12 deaths in the 30-39 age group; 24 deaths in the 40-49 age group; 52 deaths in the 50-59 age group; 157 deaths in the 60-69 age group; 194 deaths in the 70-79 age group; 162 deaths in the 80-89 age group and 90 deaths in the 90 and older age group.

Of the total cases reported in Mississippi, 40.6 percent were in males and 58.9 percent were in females. About 16.2 percent required hospitalization.

MSDH estimates that as of May 24, 9,401 COVID-19 patients have recovered.

As of May 27, 163,530 people have been tested for the virus in Mississippi by either the MSDH Public Health Laboratory (27,683) or other providers (135,847).