SC daily COVID-19 case count drops Monday after weekend spike
After a sharp increase in the number of new cases of COVID-19 this past weekend, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control announced a return to a smaller rise in cases on Monday.
South Carolina had 651 new cases diagnosed on Monday, and 12 new coronavirus-related deaths. Doctors have also identified 26 probable COVID-19 cases, but no new probable COVID-19 deaths as of Monday.
Before Saturday, South Carolina went 13 days with new daily cases of coronavirus numbering fewer than 1,000. But the Palmetto State broke that streak with 1,250 new cases announced on Saturday, followed by 1,109 on Sunday.
DHEC officials attributed the drop in cases in part to labs performing fewer tests. In order to account for that possibility, officials have highlighted the importance of percentage of tests run that come back positive.
A probable case is someone who has not received lab test results but has virus symptoms or a positive antibody test.
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.
The number of coronavirus cases passed 25 million worldwide on Sunday.
Which counties were affected?
Richland County led the state in new cases again on Monday, with 182 confirmed cases. The next most affected county was Greenville, which reported 51 new cases, followed by Charleston with 49.
In the past three days, Richland County has seen 800 new cases. The county hit a new high of 396 on Sunday, almost 170 more than the previous single-day high of 228 on July 14. The county had just two days of more than 100 new cases from Aug. 8-24, but had five days of 100 cases or more through Monday.
A DHEC spokesperson previously said new cases at the University of South Carolina, which resumed on-campus classes earlier this month, likely contributed to the increase in Richland County case numbers. But until the cases are investigated, state health officials couldn’t estimate how many of the cases are USC students.
As of Aug. 27, there were 557 active cases on campus, and 553 of them are students.
Williamsburg County reported three new deaths on Monday, while Beaufort and Charleston counties both reported two deaths. Orangeburg, Horry, Florence, Lee and Spartanburg counties each reported an additional death, not all of whom died on Monday. Spartanburg County confirmed a July 15 death was from COVID-19 on Monday.
Are all cases accounted for?
State health officials say that the testing rate is an important indicator of how many cases are being identified. On Monday, DHEC reported 4,177 tests conducted Sunday, with a 15.6% positive rate. Officials have said many who contract the virus likely aren’t being tested.
The World Health Organization suggests 5% should be the standard before countries consider reopening, and DHEC state Epidemiologist Linda Bell cited the same percentage as a goal.
In May, at its lowest point, the percentage of positive tests fell between 2% and 4% on average, while it peaked in July at consistently upward of 20%.
Nationally, about 9.1% of tests turn up positive, according to the CDC. State health officials estimate that around 86% of South Carolinians who contract the virus don’t get tested.
How are hospitals being impacted?
As of Monday, the state’s hospitals report that 76% of inpatient hospital beds are occupied, including 70% of intensive care beds. Twenty-nine percent of the state’s ventilators are in use.
Twelve percent of hospitalized patients have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Of those, 26% are intensive care patients and 16% are ventilated.
Some data since late July was unavailable as DHEC transitioned its reporting system from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to the Department of Health and Human Services, as requested by the federal government. The agency said the new system will give more precise information about COVID-19-related hospital conditions.
How is COVID-19 trending in SC?
Monday’s case report is a drop in the number of cases seen over the weekend.
The number of daily new cases reported in South Carolina hit a high of 2,343 on July 18.
In the month since, totals have slowly dropped. Three weeks ago, case counts ranged from just above 1,000 to more than 1,300. But the recent spike in cases has led DHEC to project 4,027 new cases this week.
DHEC continues to encourage people to get tested for the disease so health officials get an accurate sample, and encourage the wearing of face masks and other social distancing measures. The agency announced last week that mask-wearing has sharply slowed the spread of the disease in areas where mask use has become widespread.
This story was originally published August 31, 2020 at 2:44 PM.
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