Coronavirus updates for Aug. 5: 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.

Nearly 15,000 COVID cases in SC last week

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Thursday, Aug. 4, reported 14,967 COVID-19 cases and 13 coronavirus-related deaths for the week ending July 30. The counts include probable and confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths.

At least 1.6 million coronavirus cases have been reported in South Carolina, and more than 18,000 people have died of the virus since March 2020, according to state health officials.

Data shows COVID-19 cases are down about 14% compared with this time last week and hospitalizations are up nearly 13%. As of July 30, an average 582 people in the state were hospitalized with the coronavirus, including 81 patients being treated in intensive care and 23 patients on ventilators, the latest data shows.

The omicron variant accounted for 100% of coronavirus strains identified in South Carolina for the week of July 23, 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 52% percent of South Carolinians eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and just over 60% have received at least one dose, state health data shows.

USC to offer COVID testing to the public. What to know

The University of South Carolina is offering saliva-based coronavirus tests to the public after a campus-wide testing program helped keep the virus at bay for students and staff, according to The State.

The university’s Diagnostic Genomics Laboratory at the College of Pharmacy will provide the tests at $70 for 48-hour results, the outlet reported. For same-day results, tests are $100.

The testing site is open Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m, according to The State. Residents can also stop by on Fridays between 7:30 a.m. and noon.

Lab hours will be extended once the semester starts on Aug. 18.

For more on COVID-19 testing, read the full story here.

Lower sex drive and hair loss among long COVID symptoms, study suggests

A reduced sex drive and hair loss are among the lengthy list of symptoms reported by sufferers of long COVID, according to a new research study.

Both were named alongside at least 60 other symptoms believed to be “significantly associated” with the condition in which the effects of COVID-19 linger in the body for weeks or months, McClatchy News reported, citing research published in the journal Nature Medicine on July 25.

For the study, University of Birmingham researchers analyzed over 2 million medical records of people living in the United Kingdom and divided their reported symptoms into several different categories including breathing, mental health and reproductive health.

Researchers determined the symptoms were linked to long COVID at least 12 weeks after an initial infection, according to the report.

“This research validates what patients have been telling clinicians and policy makers throughout the pandemic, that the symptoms of Long Covid are extremely broad and cannot be fully accounted for by other factors such as lifestyle risk factors or chronic health conditions,” senior study author Dr Shamil Haroon, of the University of Birmingham, said in a statement.

Read more about the research study here.

Coronavirus updates for Aug. 4: Here’s what to know in North Carolina this week

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