Cases of COVID-19 complication deadly to kids found in SC, with 1,952 new positive tests
A day after a record amount of coronavirus cases, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control reported 1,952 new cases on Sunday.
Health officials also reported 10 new deaths, bringing the total in South Carolina to 950.
Since March, 56,485 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the Palmetto State. On Saturday, a record 2,239 cases were reported, in addition to the first in-state child’s death from the coronavirus.
On Sunday, South Carolina’s first confirmed cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) associated with COVID-19 was announced by DHEC.
Health officials said two children are the first in the state with confirmed diagnoses of MIS-C, a rare health condition recently recognized to occur in some children and teenagers who have contracted COVID-19 or been in contact with someone infected with the virus.
One child is from the Midlands and one is from the Pee Dee region. Both are under the age of 10, according to DHEC.
“We continue to see more and more young people, especially those under 20, contracting and spreading COVID-19, and we know MIS-C is a threat to our youngest South Carolinians,” state epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell said in a news release. “MIS-C is a serious health complication linked to COVID-19 and is all the more reason why we must stop the spread of this virus. Anyone and everyone is susceptible to COVID-19 as well as additional health risks associated with it, which is why all of us must stop the virus by wearing a mask and stay six feet away from others. These simple actions are how we protect ourselves and others, including our children.”
The first reports of this syndrome came from the United Kingdom in late April. Cases in the United States were first reported in New York City in early May.
Emergency warning signs of MIS-C include trouble breathing, chest pain or pressure that does not go away, confusion, inability to wake or stay awake, bluish lips or face, and severe abdominal pain, DHEC reported.
Which counties were affected?
Charleston County saw the largest increase in cases Sunday with 282. It was followed by Greenville County’s 216 new cases and another 213 positive tests in Horry County, according to DHEC.
In Richland County, officials identified 152 new cases, and in Lexington County, they found 109. Since testing began in March, DHEC has confirmed 4,799 cases of the coronavirus in Richland County, and reported 2,919 positive tests in Lexington County.
Health officials said eight of the deaths occurred in elderly individuals, including two from Greenville County, along with individuals in Anderson, Charleston, Chester, Clarendon, Horry, and Lexington counties. Two of the deaths occurred in middle-aged individuals from Lee and Lexington counties.
What’s new?
S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster issued an executive order Friday that requires all bars and restaurants to stop serving alcohol at 11 p.m. The order took effect Saturday.
The order is McMaster’s latest attempt at curbing the spread of the coronavirus, which has become very prevalent among South Carolinians under the age of 35.
The governor also reiterated that he would not put a statewide mask requirement in place.
“I cannot enforce, the state authorities cannot enforce a statewide mandate for masks on 5 million people,” McMaster said, without elaborating on why he sees a mask rule as unenforceable.
Are all cases accounted for?
About 86% of South Carolinians who contract the virus go undiagnosed, DHEC officials estimate.
State health officials have started to track what officials consider probable cases or probable deaths.
A probable case is someone who has not received lab test results but has virus symptoms or a positive antibody test. Although no new probable cases were reported Sunday, the overall number for South Carolina is 163, according to DHEC.
A probable death is someone who has not gotten a lab test but whose death certificate lists COVID-19 as a cause of death or a contributing factor. There are 11 probable deaths in South Carolina, but no new instances were reported Sunday.
DHEC estimates there are 346,979 COVID-19 cases in South Carolina that have not been diagnosed.
How are hospitals being impacted?
Health officials have reported record highs of hospitalized coronavirus patients week after week. Through Saturday, 1,472 people were hospitalized with the virus.
South Carolina surpassed 1,000 hospitalized COVID-19 patients for the first time on June 29. Hospitals have seen more than 1,000 coronavirus patients every day since.
As of Sunday, 188 of the coronavirus patients are on ventilators.
Overall, DHEC reported 2,890 inpatient hospital beds are available and 7,721 are in use, which is a 72% statewide hospital bed utilization rate.
McMaster has said the state is ready to implement a plan to create new bed space if hospitals become overburdened. He added he may require medical facilities to postpone elective procedures again. On Thursday, officials with the S.C. Emergency Management Division said the state had not reached that point.
How is COVID-19 trending in SC?
South Carolina has seen record daily coronavirus case counts since June. The surge in cases is one indicator that the virus’ activity is increasing across the state. Last week, daily case counts ranged from 1,319 to a record 1,885 cases. The week before, they fell between 890 and 1,599.
Officials reported that a record-high 22.3% of tests reported Sunday were positive. That number is higher than what health officials saw in March and early April. In May, at its lowest point, the percentage of positive tests fell between 2% and 4% on average.
Since June 27, at least 16 percent of cases turned back positive with the previous highest mark of 22.2 percent coming on Saturday. Nationally, about 8.7% of tests turn up positive, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
SC health officials are projecting 13,606 new cases over the next seven days from July 12-18.
Younger South Carolinians are increasingly being affected by the virus. Since June 1, there has been a 436.5% increase in newly reported COVID-19 cases among the 21-30 age group, representing 22% of total confirmed cases in the state. That is the largest percentage by age group.
Why are case numbers up?
State health officials say case counts are surging because more people are leaving their homes as businesses reopen. Fewer people are practicing social distancing and wearing masks, they said.
Since April 20, the governor has gradually reopened businesses, including restaurants, retailers, beaches, gyms and salons. McMaster has repeatedly said he would not consider closing businesses again or requiring South Carolinians to wear masks in response to the coronavirus case explosion.
In contrast to McMaster’s statements, state epidemiologist Linda Bell has said a statewide mask requirement could help to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Local officials have taken their own steps to curb the spread of the coronavirus, including in Columbia where masks are now required.
How is SC ranking nationally?
Though South Carolina has not broken the top fifteen in the country for cases per capita, it has seen some of the largest increases in cases during recent weeks.
The New York Times reported Wednesday that the Palmetto State saw more cases per million residents in the last week than several countries with the worst outbreaks in the world. Only Arizona and Florida outranked South Carolina, according to the Times’ analysis.
A Harvard study of counties’ coronavirus risk level ranked the Palmetto State as the highest risk level and gave 16 counties in the state the same designation.
This story was originally published July 12, 2020 at 1:35 PM.
