SC records 264 new coronavirus cases, lowest percentage of positive tests in weeks
South Carolina’s falling COVID-19 numbers continued Thursday, as the Department of Health and Environmental Control reported 264 new cases — and the state’s lowest percentage of positive tests in weeks.
DHEC also reported 24 deaths related to the novel coronavirus. Since the global pandemic first reached South Carolina in March, DHEC has recorded 124,397 confirmed cases and 2,823 deaths related to the virus.
Thursday’s new case totals mark the state’s third consecutive day with fewer than 500 cases, the first time that has happened since June 2-4. And in contrast to Tuesday and Wednesday when DHEC reported some of the state’s lowest testing totals in months coming off the Labor Day weekend, the agency reported 4,417 individual test results Thursday compared to less than 3,000 each the two days before.
That total equates to 6% of tests coming back positive, the lowest it has been since at least July.
The World Health Organization suggests 5% should be the standard before countries consider reopening, and DHEC state epidemiologist Linda Bell has cited the same percentage as a goal. Through much of July, though, that figure regularly surpassed 20% in South Carolina, and it stayed above 14% every calendar week in August.
Which counties were affected?
Richland County, which saw an uptick in cases recently coinciding with the return of thousands of college students to the University of South Carolina, led the state once again Thursday in new cases with 39.
Neighboring Lexington County saw 28 new confirmed cases. Elsewhere across the state, Horry County reported 33 new cases, second highest on the day, while Greenville County, the most populous county in the state, had just two.
Residents from the following counties died after contracting the virus: Aiken (1), Anderson (5), Calhoun (2), Chesterfield (1), Dorchester (1), Florence (2), Greenville (1), Horry (1), Kershaw (1), Lexington (1), Oconee (1), Orangeburg (4), Richland (2), Saluda (2) and York (1).
How is COVID-19 trending in SC?
The number of daily new cases reported in South Carolina hit a high of 2,343 on July 18. In the month after, totals slowly dropped, including a stretch of 13 days in a row under 1,000 towards the end of August. Over the past five days, there have not been more than 650 new cases in a single day.
Ahead of the Labor Day weekend, however, DHEC and other health experts warned of a possible spike in cases as residents take vacations to crowded beaches and students return to schools. The saw a similar increase in May after Memorial Day, going from about 100 to 300 cases per day to more than 1,000, and to a lesser extent in July after Independence Day, going from 1,600 to 1,900.
Such a spike wouldn’t show up in the data immediately, however, as patients could not develop symptoms for as many as two weeks.
State health officials have also said that the virus’ progression has been slowing significantly in areas with face mask requirements and where residents are practicing social distancing.
Are all cases accounted for?
State health officials estimate that around 86% of South Carolinians who contract the virus don’t get tested.
DHEC has also been recording probable cases and probable deaths. A probable case is someone who has not received a lab test result 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.
On Thursday, state health officials reported 64 new probable cases and 11 new probable deaths. That puts the total number of probable cases at 2,195 and total probable deaths at 152..
How are hospitals being impacted?
As of Thursday, the state reported 852 patients in South Carolina hospitals have coronavirus, including 219 in intensive care and 127 on ventilators.
In all, 81.54% of in-patient beds are occupied in S.C. hospitals.
This story was originally published September 10, 2020 at 2:24 PM.
