Small COVID-19 spikes seen in Cape, Scott counties

Cape Girardeau and Scott counties reported small spikes in COVID-19 cases Wednesday.

Cases in Scott County grew by seven, bringing that county’s total to 59, according to the county Health Department. Thirteen residents of the county have recovered from the virus, and one death has been attributed to COVID-19.

Positive cases in Cape Girardeau County grew by three Wednesday, as officials with the county’s Public Health Center reported 41 total cases.

One of the new cases in Cape Girardeau County is in Jackson, bringing the total there to 17. Fourteen — the same number as Tuesday — are in Cape Girardeau. Two new cases were reported elsewhere in the county.

Twenty-one patients in the county have recovered, while eight remain hospitalized. One county resident with the virus died.

Scott County does not provide location information for its COVID-19 cases, citing privacy concerns. However, a family member of a resident at Sikeston Convalescent Center said last week at least some of the cases are at the nursing home.

COVID-19 cases have exploded in long-term care facilities around the country, and Maria Davis, health educator at the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center said authorities here are targeting efforts at such facilities.

“We are establishing a more streamlined online process for reporting that will allow us to more quickly analyze symptom data,” she explained. “We are also identifying and establishing additional reporting partners to increase our ability to see trends in the community.”

No new cases were reported Wednesday in Bollinger, Perry or Stoddard counties in Missouri or in the Illinois counties of Union or Alexander.

The positive cases in Scott and Cape Girardeau counties are somewhat evenly spread among age groups:

• 0-19: Cape, 0; Scott, 3
• 20-29: Cape, 5; Scott, 11
• 30-39: Cape 8; Scott, 6
• 40-49: Cape, 3; Scott, 7
• 50-59: Cape, 6; Scott, 5
• 60-69: Cape, 9; Scott, 7
• 70-79: Cape, 7; Scott, 6
• 80-plus: Cape, 3;

Scott, 14.

In Cape Girardeau County, the positive cases are evenly spread among men and women — 21 cases involve women and 20 are men. In Scott County, a significantly higher number of women have contracted the disease — 38 women to 21 men.

Also, though Scott County’s African American population is about 11%, according to the Census Bureau, 54% of that county’s COVID-19 cases involve African American patients.