SC tops 100 COVID-19 deaths since Monday, reports highest number of cases this week
South Carolina reported Friday more than 20 coronavirus-related deaths for the third time this week, bringing the weekly death toll to 103.
The 26 coronavirus-related deaths confirmed Friday by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control brings the overall death toll in South Carolina to 3,949.
The number of confirmed positive tests has increased every day this week, culminating with 1,479 reported Friday and bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 191,021 since testing began in March.
Friday’s data is based on 11,207 tests — also a weekly high — of which 13.2% came back positive, according to DHEC.
The percent positive rate has decreased this week as more people have gotten tested, but remains well above the 5% rate that many public health agencies aim for.
Percent positive rates provide an idea of how widespread coronavirus infection is in a testing area, with higher numbers indicating there are likely more people infected with COVID-19 in the community who have not been tested and who may unwittingly spread the disease to others.
DHEC urges anyone who is symptomatic or who has been exposed to someone with COVID-19 to get tested themselves, and recommends routine monthly testing for anyone who is out and about in the community, even if they are asymptomatic.
To find a testing location near you, visit DHEC’s website at scdhec.gov/covid19/covid-19-testing-locations.
Which counties were affected?
The Upstate continues to report more COVID-19 cases than any other region of the state.
Greenville County again reported Friday the most new positive tests in the state with 205, followed by Spartanburg with 116 new cases and Anderson, which was sixth overall in the state, with 87 cases.
Other counties that reported more than 90 cases Friday were York (102), Richland (101) and Charleston (95).
Lexington County logged 75 coronavirus cases Friday, a 50% spike from the day before.
Richland County has had a total of 19,441 COVID-19 cases since March, while 10,736 positive tests have been reported in Lexington County.
Of the deaths confirmed Friday, 21 were elderly individuals (65 and older) and five were middle-aged (35-64), according to DHEC. Four deaths each were reported in Greenville and York counties; three each were reported in Kershaw and Pickens counties; two deaths each were reported in Greenwood and Horry counties; and a single death was reported in Anderson, Charleston, Dillon, Florence, Georgetown, Lexington, Spartanburg and Sumter.
Overall, 273 coronavirus-related deaths have been reported in Richland County and 215 have been reported in Lexington County, according to DHEC.
Are all cases accounted for?
Across the country, health experts said official case counts have likely under-counted the number of cases to large degrees. At one point, South Carolina officials estimated that 86% of those infected never got tested or diagnosed, but they no longer provide those estimates.
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 Friday, DHEC reported 82 new probable COVID-19 cases in the state, and five new probable deaths. That puts the total number of probable cases at 12,140 and total probable deaths at 282.
How are hospitals being impacted?
The number of patients hospitalized with coronavirus-related symptoms has dropped the past two days, but the 808 patients DHEC reported Friday is still 39 more than Monday.
The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 at one time in the state peaked at 1,723 on July 23.
Just over 9% of inpatients statewide are being treated for COVID-19. About one-quarter of COVID-19 patients, or 203, are in intensive care units, and another 106 are on ventilators, according to DHEC data.
The number of overall hospital beds and ICU beds that are occupied has risen by roughly 6 percentage points this week. As of Friday, more than 80% of the 11,087 hospital beds available in South Carolina were occupied and nearly 78% of ICU beds were occupied.
In Richland County, 76.1% of hospital beds are occupied, and in Lexington County, 87.8% of beds are full, data shows.
How is COVID-19 trending in SC?
Several key COVID-19 metrics the state tracks to measure spread remain below the highs hit in July, but some are trending up, especially in the Upstate, health officials warn.
Indicators such as daily case rates by population, percentage of positive tests and hospitalizations have all risen since the start of September. And while they have not reached July’s peaks, they are still at a rate that indicates continued disease spread.
The rates of testing, meanwhile, have declined from the highs reported in the middle of the summer, when DHEC was recording more than 10,000 tests per day, and plateaued throughout the fall. The rate of testing has inched upwards recently, however.
Overall, 2,458,520 tests have been conducted in South Carolina.
This story was originally published November 20, 2020 at 2:33 PM.