Virus deaths come in higher numbers but over longer periods

County health officials in the region are generally reporting new COVID-19 statistics more infrequently than in past months, and that is resulting in virus-related deaths coming in somewhat larger numbers.

Stoddard County, Missouri, officials, for example, updated their data Friday, reporting five new deaths. However, those deaths span back to Oct. 6. In that period, the county's virus case number grew 19 to 5,081 for the pandemic. As of Friday, there were 61 active cases in the county. Ninety-nine county residents have died because of the virus.

Officials in Bollinger County, Missouri, also reported virus-related deaths -- two, pushing the county's total to 27. As of Friday, there were 47 active virus cases in the county, and throughout the pandemic, the county has tallied 2,023 total virus cases (1,672 confirmed and 351 probable).

Scott County officials reported 35 new confirmed cases and seven probable cases, for a pandemic total of 5,996. There were 215 active cases in the county as of Friday, a number less than half of the total from a month ago. For the pandemic, 107 county residents have died because of the virus.

In Perry County, Missouri, virus cases grew by 40 in the past seven days, for a total of 3,052 (2,941 confirmed and 111 probable). There were 82 active virus cases in the county as of Thursday, and 33 county residents have died because of the virus.

Southeast Missouri State University officials reported only eight active cases on campus Friday (four students and four employees), down from 11 the previous day. One person was in on-campus isolation/quarantine. For the pandemic, the university has totaled 255 virus cases (225 students and 30 employees).