Coronavirus transmission in Mississippi is leveling off, but health experts are closely monitoring several Mississippi counties that have increases in infection rates. On a Facebook live roundtable, State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs says he’s concerned that the state could see a rebound in coronavirus cases soon. He says if people don't take the virus seriously, case numbers could go up. "It's hard to imagine that we won't have a rebound at some in all this, especially as folks inevitably sort of start letting their guard down. We're seeing pressure over people wanting to be more social, and then certainly as the weather gets colder, we know that the indoor environment is the most efficient way to spread coronavirus."
Free coronavirus testing is available at least once a week in every Mississippi county. Hundreds of national guard troops are helping to conduct the tests, and teachers and students don't have to have prior exposure to get tested. State Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers says while testing is more widely available, the demand has decreased. "There was a time with our big clinic down the street at the old farmers market that our appointments for testing were filled, and the testing now certainly may be an indication of the overall decreased community transmission because we're not having all of those sick people, but we're not having a lot of the worried well coming in and getting tested either."
Dr. Dobbs says many asymptomatic carriers could be missed because they are not getting tested. He says people should assume everyone has COVID-19 when in public.
