SC closes in on month without 1,000-coronavirus case day
South Carolina continues to close in on a full month without 1,000 new COVID-19 cases in a day — and 150,000 total cases of the novel coronavirus — as the Department of Health and Environmental Control announced 556 new cases Wednesday.
According to DHEC data, the last time the Palmetto State had more than 1,000 cases in a single day was Sept. 10. South Carolina first recorded a 1,000-case day in mid-June.
DHEC also reported 27 new deaths in South Carolina residents confirmed to have the novel coronavirus. Since the global pandemic first reached the state in March, DHEC has recorded 148,334 confirmed cases and 3,300 deaths.
Health officials also recorded 4,309 individual test results Wednesday, putting the percentage of individuals testing positive at 12.9%. The average rate of positive tests has declined from the state’s high points in July, when it consistently topped 20%, but it is still well above the 5% mark health experts, including DHEC state epidemiologist Linda Bell, have cited as a goal.
Officials are now recommending anyone who is “out and about” in the community or not able to wear a facial covering and practice social distancing be tested at least once a month, in order to track and curb the spread of asymptomatic cases.
Which counties were affected?
Horry County reported the largest increase in new cases Wednesday, adding 86 to its total. In the Midlands, Lexington County added 50 new cases, second most across S.C., while neighboring Richland County added 44.
Residents of the following counties died after contracting COVID-19: Aiken (1), Anderson (1), Beaufort (1), Berkeley (1), Charleston (1), Cherokee (1), Chester (1), Dillon (2), Florence (1), Greenville (4), Horry (1), Lancaster (2), Lexington (2), Marion (1), Orangeburg (1), Spartanburg (3), Sumter (2) and Union (1)
The individual who died in Union County was a young adult, defined by DHEC as between 18 and 34 years old. Five others were middle aged, defined as being between 35 and 64 yards old, with the rest all being elderly, defined as 65 years old and up.
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 when case counts were under 1,000.
The seven-day moving average of new cases rose again slightly in late August and early September, but it has dipped again and stayed relatively flat since.
State health officials credited the decline in cases since July in part to a significant slowdown in virus activity in areas with face mask requirements and where residents are practicing social distancing. In particular, DHEC data has shown that the areas that implemented mask ordinances the earliest have seen the largest overall declines.
But health officials have also said lower testing totals have played a role as well. After regularly reporting more than 10,000 tests a day in July, DHEC did not record that many throughout August and September.
Officials have said there has not been a reduction in testing capacity, but demand has slowed as “testing fatigue” sets in. To account for lower test totals, officials have highlighted the importance of percentage of tests run that come back positive. The seven-day moving average of that percentage in South Carolina rose to nearly 20% in early September but has declined to under 15% most days recently.
Nationally, about 8.2% of tests have turned up positive, according to the CDC. In South Carolina, that percentage has been higher since March, at 14.6%. In all, 1,539,978 tests have been completed in the state since March.
Are all cases accounted for?
State health officials have estimated in the past 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 Wednesday, state health officials reported 118 new probable cases and six new probable deaths. That puts the total number of probable cases at 5,371 and total probable deaths at 202.
How are hospitals being impacted?
As of Wednesday, the state reported 707 patients in South Carolina hospitals have the novel coronavirus, including 183 in intensive care and 93 on ventilators. The number of patients hospitalized at one time peaked at 1,723 on July 23.
In all, 80.24% of inpatient beds in S.C. hospitals are currently occupied, including 73.88% of ICU beds.
This story was originally published October 7, 2020 at 2:23 PM.
