COVID-19 hospitalizations in SC up 22% in past week, as 1,243 cases reported Wednesday
Hospitalizations for COVID-19 continue to shoot up in South Carolina, according to state health department data.
The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 ballooned to 940 on Wednesday, a 22% spike since the beginning of last week, according to the state’s Department of Health and Environmental Control. It’s the third consecutive day coronavirus hospitalizations have hit a 30-day high.
The rise in COVID-19 hospitalizations Wednesday comes as state health officials announced 1,243 new confirmed coronavirus cases and four additional deaths.
More than 197,000 people in South Carolina have tested positive for the novel coronavirus since testing began in March and 4,015 have died, DHEC said.
Testing has ramped up considerably in the past week, with some popular testing sites processing more than 100 people per hour in recent days, according to the agency.
DHEC reported 8,991 tests Wednesday, the second lowest daily total in the past week and the first time since Sunday that fewer than 10,000 tests were conducted.
Nearly 14% of the tests reported Wednesday came back positive, the highest positivity rate reported since late last week.
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.
The World Health Organization earlier this year advised governments not to reopen until percent positive rates were at 5% or lower for at least 14 days.
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 number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Upstate continues to outpace other South Carolina regions.
Greenville County reported the most new positive tests in the state Wednesday with 150, followed by Pickens (56, sixth in the state), Spartanburg (54, seventh in the state) and Anderson (50, ninth in the state).
COVID-19 cases in the Midlands are still below the Upstate’s numbers, but are on the rise and closing in on July’s peak levels with Richland (101) and York (89) counties reporting the third and fifth highest number of positive tests in the state Wednesday. Lexington County, which has consistently logged about 50 daily COVID-19 cases for the past week, reported 53 positive tests Wednesday.
The only other counties that reported at least 50 new cases Wednesday were Horry (111) and Charleston (96).
Since March, Richland County has had a total of 20,038 confirmed COVID-19 cases and Lexington County has reported 11,063 positive tests.
Of the four deaths confirmed Wednesday, two were elderly individuals (65 and older) and two were middle-aged (35-64).
One death each was reported in Georgetown, Greenville, Hampton and Marion counties.
Overall, 280 coronavirus-related deaths have been reported in Richland County and 220 have been reported in Lexington County.
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, S.C. 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 Wednesday, DHEC reported 84 new probable COVID-19 cases in the state, and no new probable deaths. That puts the total number of probable cases at 13,253 and total probable deaths at 302.
How are hospitals being impacted?
For the third straight day , the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in South Carolina reached a 30-day high, according to DHEC.
Health officials reported 940 inpatients hospitalized for the coronavirus Wednesday, the ninth straight day at least 800 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 symptoms. It’s roughly 163 more COVID-19 hospitalizations than South Carolina has averaged over the past 30 days, according to DHEC.
COVID-19 hospitalizations peaked at 1,723 on July 23.
With the recent spike in COVID-19 hospitalizations, nearly 11% of all inpatients statewide are now being treated for the novel coronavirus, DHEC reported.
Just under one-quarter of COVID-19 patients, or 227, are in intensive care units, a 30-day high. Around the state, 108 COVID-19 patients are on ventilators.
The number of ventilated patients jumped 30% from Tuesday, when they were at their lowest level since October, according to DHEC.
Despite the rise in COVID-19 patients, hospital bed occupancy and ICU bed occupancy remain below 80%, with 78% of the state’s hospital beds and 74.3% of its ICU beds occupied.
In Richland County, 73.8% of hospital beds are occupied Wednesday, and in Lexington County, 84.3% 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 are trending up, health officials warn.
Indicators such as daily case rates by population, percentage of positive tests and hospitalizations all have risen since mid-October.
The rate of testing has increased steadily over the past month, with an average of 160 tests per 100,000 individuals being performed daily over the past 30 days, a 16.2% increase from the month prior.
Overall, 2,599,832 tests have been conducted in South Carolina.
This story was originally published November 25, 2020 at 2:28 PM with the headline "COVID-19 hospitalizations in SC up 22% in past week, as 1,243 cases reported Wednesday."