Coronavirus updates for May 4: Here’s what to know in South Carolina this week
More than 3,000 COVID cases last week
At least 1.4 million coronavirus cases have been reported in South Carolina, and at least 17,847 people have died of the virus since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Tuesday, May 3, reported 3,044 COVID-19 cases and eight coronavirus-related deaths for the week ending April 30. The counts include probable and confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths.
Data shows new COVID-19 cases are up nearly 40% compared to last week, and hospitalizations have increased roughly 18%. As of May 2, 129 people in the state were hospitalized with COVID-19, including 16 patients being treated in intensive care units and five patients on ventilators.
The omicron variant accounted for 100% of coronavirus strains identified in South Carolina for the week of April 23, according to the latest available state data. The DHEC’s Public Health Laboratory conducts sequencing on randomly chosen samples as part of nationwide efforts to identify new strains of the virus, the agency’s website reads.
Nearly 55% percent of South Carolinians eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and over 63% have received at least one dose, state health data shows.
Think twice before throwing out expired at-home COVID tests
Like most health items, at-home COVID-19 tests expire. Experts don’t recommend using an old test kit, but say you may want to hold on to the ones you have.
That’s because the expiration dates on some tests can be extended as manufacturers continue gathering data on the shelf life of over-the-counter kits and their “ability to perform accurately,” McClatchy News reported, citing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Using an outdated coronavirus testing kit ups the risk for inaccurate test results, experts said. Through “real-time stability testing,” or keeping a test past its expiration date, manufacturers can determine if a test is still reliable, despite the expiration date printed on the box.
“Since it takes time for test manufacturers to perform stability testing, the FDA typically authorizes at-home COVID-19 tests with a shelf-life of about four to six months from the day the test was manufactured, based on initial study results, and it may be extended later as additional data is collected,” the agency said.
For more on expired COVID-19 tests, read the full story here.
FDA approves first COVID treatment for kids under 12
The first COVID-19 treatment for kids younger than 12 has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, McClatchy News reported.
The antiviral drug Veklury, also known as remdesivir, can now be given to pediatric patients 28 days or older, and weighing at least 7 pounds after being hospitalized with the virus, the agency announced April 25.
Young patients who have “mild-to-moderate COVID-19 and are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death,” can also receive the treatment, according to an FDA news release. The drug was previously approved as a coronavirus treatment in certain adults and children over 12.
For more information on Veklury, read the full story here.