Coronavirus updates for Nov. 2: Here’s what to know in South Carolina this week
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in South Carolina. Check back each week for updates.
More than 3,400 COVID cases in SC last week
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Tuesday, Nov. 1, reported 3,459 COVID-19 cases and six coronavirus-related deaths for the week ending Oct. 29.
The counts include probable and confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths.
An estimated 1.7 million coronavirus cases have been reported in South Carolina, and more than 18,600 people have died of the virus since March 2020, according to state health officials.
Data shows COVID-19 cases are up about 13% compared with this time last week, with hospitalizations falling nearly 1%. As of Oct. 29, an average of 221 people in the state were hospitalized with the coronavirus, including 31 patients being treated in intensive care and 11 patients on ventilators, the latest data shows.
The omicron subvariant BA.5 accounted for about 74% of coronavirus strains identified in South Carolina for the week ending Oct. 15, followed by subvariant BA.4.6 (20.5%), according to the latest data. The DHEC’s Public Health Laboratory conducts sequencing on randomly chosen samples as part of nationwide efforts to find out about new strains of the virus, the agency’s website reads.
About 53% of South Carolinians eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and just over 61% have received at least one dose, state health data shows.
SC man among 4 charged in COVID relief scheme, prosecutors say
Four men face federal charges after they were accused of stealing millions in COVID-19 relief funds meant for struggling businesses, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina.
Defendants Kehinde Mubarak Ladepo, 26, a member of the U.S. Air Force stationed at Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter; Ganiyu Victor Ladepo, 29, of Fayetteville, North Carolina; Maxwell Uzoma Okobi, 24, a North Carolina resident deployed to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait; and Jacob Liticker, 25, of Houston, Texas, tried defrauding the government out of $2 million in PPP loans, The State reported, citing the indictment.
Prosecutors said the men stole about $1 million.
“PPP loans were finite funds designed to help businesses stay afloat amid unprecedented times and extraordinary challenges,” U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs said in a statement. “Every dollar wrongly taken from this taxpayer-funded program was a dollar that could not go to a legitimate business in need.”
If convicted, each faces up to 20 years in prison plus fines and restitution.
Read the full story here.
Do COVID vaccines cause heavier periods? What experts say
Fatigue, fever and feeling generally unwell is to be expected after rolling up your sleeve for a COVID-19 vaccine. But what about heavier menstrual bleeding?
On Oct. 28, the European Medicines Agency’s safety committee recommended listing heavier periods as a possible side effect of both Pfizer and Moderna’s mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, according to McClatchy News.
Committee members suggested that temporary heavier bleeding “of unknown frequency” be included in the vaccines’ product description so consumers are aware, the agency said.
“Heavy menstrual bleeding (heavy periods) may be defined as bleeding characterised by an increased volume and/or duration which interferes with the person’s physical, social, emotional and material quality of life,” the EMA’s release said.
The agency’s recommendation was based on a review of public data and published medical studies.
To learn more, read the story here.