Weekend COVID-19 spike in SC declines in new case numbers Monday
On Monday, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control announced 586 new cases of COVID-19 in South Carolina and two new coronavirus-related deaths.
Monday’s total is down after a sharp increase over the weekend. On Saturday, state health officials announced the highest number of new coronavirus cases in more than three months, with 1,639 new cases in a single day. Officials have warned that the state could be seeing a fall surge in virus activity.
Since the first cases of the virus were identified in South Carolina in March, officials have reported 176,373 confirmed cases and 3,778 confirmed deaths.
But the state did have a spike in the number of positive tests coming back. Out of 3,921 tests performed on Sunday, 14.9% came back positive.
It has been nearly three weeks since DHEC has reported a percentage positive under 10%, a level that officials such as state epidemiologist Linda Bell have previously said indicates continued disease spread in the community.
The average rate of positive tests topped 20% in parts of July and has declined since to below 15%, but it is still well above the 5% mark that health experts have cited as a goal for safely reopening.
A total of 2,182,325 tests have now been performed in the state since March.
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 regularly, especially if they are taking part in holiday traveling or events. Residents are urged to take advantage of free testing sites throughout the state.
How is COVID-19 trending in SC?
In recent weeks, parts of the country have hit a “third wave” of infections higher than the peaks seen in the spring and summer, leading to rising national numbers approaching 100,000 new cases per day.
So far, South Carolina has not seen several of its key metrics hit the highs reached in July — the number of daily new cases reported hit a peak of 2,343 on July 18, the seven-day moving average of the percentage of positive tests topped out at 21.2% on July 14 and the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients reached 1,723 on July 23.
But some regions, particularly in the Upstate, have seen an increase in cases. Indicators such as daily case rates by population, percentage of positive tests and hospitalizations have all risen since August.
At the same time, the state has seen a drop-off in the number of people getting tested for the virus. Officials have said there has not been a reduction in testing capacity but in demand as “testing fatigue” sets in, and they’ve urged residents to get tested more regularly to hit testing goals.
Which counties were affected?
The rise in cases in the Upstate continued Monday, with Greenville County reporting by far the largest increase with 103 new cases. Next-door neighbor Spartanburg had the next highest number with 54.
Richland County reported 38 cases on Monday, and Lexington County had 35. Elsewhere in the state, York County had 33 new cases, Horry County had 32, Anderson had 31, and Charleston County 28.
New confirmed deaths came from Lexington and Sumter counties. Two probable COVID-19 deaths were reported in Newberry County and one in Greenville County. Both confirmed deaths were in individuals between the ages of 35 and 64. Two probable deaths were individuals 65 and over, and one, in Newberry, was an individual between the ages of 18 and 34.
Are all cases accounted for?
State health officials at one point estimated that around 86% of South Carolinians who contract the virus didn’t get tested. Across the country, health experts have said official case counts have likely under-counted the number of cases.
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 Monday, DHEC reported 15 new probable cases of COVID-19, and three probable deaths.
How are hospitals being impacted?
As of Monday, 746 people in South Carolina are hospitalized with COVID-19 symptoms, or 9% of all in-patient hospitalizations. Twenty-six percent of hospitalized COVID-19 patients are in intensive care, and 14% are on ventilators.
The state’s hospital bed occupancy rate is currently at 75%.
Health officials said COVID-19 can cause mild to severe illness. Older adults and people who have serious underlying medical conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, and/or chronic lung diseases, are at a higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19, according to DHEC.
This story was originally published November 9, 2020 at 2:05 PM.
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