The COVID-19 coronavirus continues to infect Mississippians by the droves, state health records indicate.

Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) officials reported Thursday that 8,356 new coronavirus cases were found in a 24-hour period that ended at 3 p.m. Wednesday.

In the last two weeks, 81,591 cases have been officially logged, though the number is likely much higher due to at-home tests typically not being reported to the state health department.

To put the rapid spread in perspective,  in the last 14 days approximately 1 in every 36 Mississippians has tested positive for the virus. Cases found in the last two weeks now represent 13 percent of the total cases found since the pandemic began, nearly two years ago.

The additional cases reported early Thursday bring the total number of cases found in the state since the pandemic began to 625,328.

Although health experts say the new omicron variant tends to require less hospital care than previous variants, the massive number of new cases in this wave is still causing hospitalizations to grow rapidly.

Through Wednesday, 1,332 patients were hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19, the state health department reported. By comparison at the beginning of December less than 200 COVID patients were hospitalized.

At their peak during last summer’s delta variant wave hospitalizations hit a high mark of 1,667 on August 19, 2021.

MSDH reported 17 new deaths on Wednesday, bringing the total death toll to 10,606.

Through Thursday, 49 percent of the total Mississippi population has been fully vaccinated. The number of fully vaccinated Mississippians remains below the U.S. average of 63 percent.

For more detailed county-by-county vaccination results visit: https://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/resources/12130.pdf

The 7-day, daily average of new cases rose Thursday to 6,325, a new record high.

The 14-day, daily average of new cases rose sharply to 5,580 with Thursday’s update. It was another new all-time high.

Cumulative Cases and Deaths by County