Compared to last week, Mississippi’s COVID-19 cases are declining.
From September 10th to September 16th, there were 13,101 cases were reported by the Mississippi Department of Health (MSDH). From September 17th through September 23rd, there were 7,984 reported cases.
These cases are reported by COVID-19 testing providers around the state including commercial laboratories, hospital labs and the MSDH Public Health Laboratory.
However, there are people who choose to use a home testing kit. Those test results are not reportable in Mississippi.
For the “do-it-yourselfers”, State Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers offers the following guidance if you decide to purchase a home test kit.
- If an individual has a positive home test, they should see their primary care provider or healthcare provider to determine if they have COVID-19. If their healthcare provider confirms they are infected, the provider will report to MSDH.
- If a person does test positive with a home test, they should immediately isolate and consider themselves infected until they consult with their provider.
- If a symptomatic person takes a home test that is negative, they should still consult with their provider, especially if they have symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or have had recent exposure to an individual with COVID-19
If you have been quarantined, MSDH does not recommend the use of home tests to test out of quarantine for a shortened quarantine period.
