Senior citizens beware: Careless college students could bring coronavirus

State leaders are urging senior citizens to be extra cautious of the coronavirus and to curtail any activities that would put them at unnecessary risk – including making contact with young people who have been careless about their own exposure.

During a conference call that drew thousands of listeners Friday, Gov. Henry McMaster and a cadre of health experts said the coronavirus should be taken seriously. The disease can infect young people, who can carry it unknowingly, and transfer to seniors who are the most vulnerable to COVID-19’s lethal effects.

“Keep away from other people and keep away from asymptomatic young people who may have been not paying adequate attention to the advice that has been going out over the last few days or weeks,’’ said Timothy Lyons, a doctor with the Medical University of South Carolina.

College-aged spring breakers have crowded stretches of beaches in South Carolina this week, particularly at hot-spot tourist destinations, like Myrtle Beach. Many of those students have said they were not worried about their personal safety, even though doctors say they can transmit the disease.

A stretch of seashore was jammed with college students Thursday in Myrtle Beach, a major resort where business has been otherwise sharply curtailed because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that nearly 40 percent of coronavirus patients who were hospitalized across the country were ages 20 to 54, The New York Times reported this week. But the data show that the risk of death was substantially higher in older people, the newspaper reported. The disease is particularly threatening to people over 85.

One senior citizen from Hilton Head Island,a popular destination for retirees, asked during Friday’s conference call if state officials planned to close beaches to prevent large gatherings of college students. The caller, whose full name was not available, said Hilton Head Island was getting an influx of spring breakers to the Sea Pines area.

McMaster indicated Friday morning that closing beaches would be a local decision, but he later took action to stop people from congregating in large groups. McMaster announced on Twitter that the State Law Enforcement Division and local police would begin breaking up crowds on beaches.

“A state of emergency exists in South Carolina to prevent the spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus,’’ according to McMaster’s afternoon Tweet. “To save lives, I have directed SLED and local law enforcement to disperse crowds gathered on our state’s beaches.’’

McMaster had told seniors that anyone going to the beach should follow public health advice to stay away from others and not to touch anything that might contain coronavirus germs.

Friday’s conference call, put together by the AARP and open to the public, drew a number of questions from seniors about activities they have been engaged in or planned to engage in. The Department of Health and Environmental Control’s epidemiologist, Linda Bell, and Lyons, the MUSC doctor, said it depends on the activity.

Among the advice:

• Picking up mail from your mail box is OK, if you are careful to wash your hands afterward, Bell said. A 92-year-old Pawleys Island resident asked about whether letters handled by mail carriers could be contaminated. “That is a normal activity that you have to carry out,’’ Bell said. “You should not be overly concerned about the number of places that that mail has been handled. However, you should wash your hands after you are handling any items that you feel might be potentially contaminated.’’

• Generally, it is better for seniors, particularly those with health problems, not to have guests visit them, including family members. One 70-year-old Summerville woman said her family wanted to come for a visit. “We ask everyone to seriously consider the potential risks,’’ Bell said, adding that visits “increase the risk for exposure.’’

• It’s probably OK to shop at the grocery store, if seniors make sure they don’t touch commonly touched surfaces, make sure to wash their hands after shopping and make sure not to touch their mouth or noses while shopping, Bell said.

• Seniors should be prepared if they do get sick by having prescription medications and basic prescriptions available, Lyons said. “Prepare and plan in case you do get sick,’’ he said. “It is important that you have got convenient access to important phone numbers of your health care providers, of family, of your insurance company (and it’s) also important that you have stocked up on medications.’’

• Seniors should consider not visiting salons that don’t provide essential services to seniors, such as personal grooming salons, Lyons said. An older, diabetic caller asked if he could visit a salon to get his toenails clipped. “ Social distancing is possibly more important than getting your toenails trimmed, “ Lyons said, even though diabetes patients need good foot care. “I’d be reluctant to be in relatively close contact with other people. My recommendation would be to wait if at all possible.’’

This story was originally published March 20, 2020 at 2:44 PM.

Sammy Fretwell

The State

803-771-8537

Sammy Fretwell has covered the environment beat for The State since 1995. He writes about an array of issues, including wildlife, climate change, energy, state environmental policy, nuclear waste and coastal development. He has won numerous awards, including Journalist of the Year by the S.C. Press Association in 2017. Fretwell is a University of South Carolina graduate who grew up in Anderson County. Reach him at 803 771 8537. Support my work with a digital subscription