DHEC: 1,505 new cases of COVID-19, 6 additional deaths reported in SC on Monday

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - On Monday, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control announced 1,505 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and six more confirmed deaths.

This brings the total number of people with confirmed cases since the outbreak began to 46,247 and confirmed deaths to 819.

DHEC also announced one new probable death.

This brings the total number of probable cases to 133 and probable deaths to eight.

Five of the deaths occurred in elderly individuals (65 and older) from Beaufort (1), Chesterfield (1), Darlington (1), and Dillon (2) counties.

There was one middle-aged individual (35 to 64 years old) from Horry County who died.

The probable death was a young adult (18 to 34 years old) from Georgetown County, according to officials.

For more information about why DHEC is now reporting probable cases and deaths, keep reading.

Included in this article is context on testing, recoveries, hospitalization, death rates, and more. That information is provided in detail below the info on new cases.

New confirmed cases by county as of Monday, July 6:

COVID-19 TESTING IN SOUTH CAROLINA*

Negative diagnostic tests (all labs) - 381,428
Positive diagnostic tests (all labs) - 58,296
Total diagnostic tests - 439,724
Negative serology (antibody) tests - 39,648
Positive serology (antibody) tests - 1,923
Total serology (antibody) tests - 41,471
Negative tests of unknown type** - 1,422
Positive tests of unknown type** - 5
Total tests of unknown type** - 1,427
Total number of tests performed in South Carolina by DHEC and private labs - 482,722

*These numbers represent the volume of tests received and not distinct individuals tested. Individuals could have multiple tests.

**Unknown test types refer to tests with an unrecognized type. As (DHEC) continues to investigate unknown test types they will be reassigned as more information becomes available.

As readers may notice, DHEC has changed the way it’s reporting testing numbers.

The agency said it had been including antibody testing in its numbers since March 10, but it didn’t start specifying which tests were which until Thursday, June 11.

However, DHEC officials made clear they have not counted any positive antibody tests as positive COVID-19 cases.

“The inclusion of antibody test numbers in our daily testing numbers has not affected the number of cases in the state, however, it has slightly decreased the percent positive,” DHEC explained.

Antibody tests determine if a person has COVID-19 antibodies in their system, meaning they had a previous infection. It does not test for an active infection.

The recent spike in cases in South Carolina is not just due to more testing, DHEC officials have said repeatedly since the second week of June.

While case numbers reached record highs during that week, the percent positive was also high. Percent positive refers to the number of people who test positive for COVID-19 in relation to the number of tests being performed. The percent positive since early June has remained high.

DHEC reported the percent positive from 7,790 tests completed statewide Sunday was 18.8% (not including antibody tests).

When daily case numbers are high and the percent positive is high, that indicates more virus spread in the community, DHEC said.

The following chart shows the percent positive over the past 28 days.

Percent positive - 07/06/2020 — Percent positive - 07/06/2020(SCDHEC)

Health officials linked the start of the rise in the number of cases during the week of June 8 to gatherings that happened over the Memorial Day weekend.

To see the percent positive since the outbreak began in South Carolina, use the chart below and click on “Testing.”

Note that antibody tests were initially counted in the percent positive metric, but as of June 11 they have not been counted, according to DHEC.

DHEC says as of Monday morning, 1,260 people are hospitalized due to COVID-19 or are under investigation for the possibility of having the virus.

Of all inpatient hospital beds in the state, 7,377 beds are in use and 3,303 beds are available, meaning about 69.07% of all beds in the state are in use.

As of July 2, DHEC has estimated 85% of people who didn’t die from the virus, and that they have “symptom onset data” for, have recovered. They only have that data for 20,644 people. Of those people, 650 have unfortunately died.

Based on that information, DHEC estimates that about 16,995 people have recovered so far. The rest of the people are still fighting the virus, DHEC says.

When looking at the confirmed numbers of cases and deaths, one could figure the death toll from the virus is about 1.9% in South Carolina.

However, DHEC estimates that for every confirmed case of the virus, there are up to nine other people in the community who have also been infected.

If that is the case, as DHEC suggests, there may have been more than 330,336 coronavirus cases in the state so far. That would mean the death toll could be more like 0.25%.

On June 18, DHEC announced it will begin reporting probable cases and deaths. A probable case, according to DHEC officials, is an individual who has not had a confirmatory viral test performed but meets the following qualifications:

Has epidemiologic evidence and clinical evidence of infection, or
A positive antibody blood test and either epidemiologic evidence or clinical evidence.

A probable death, according to DHEC, is a person whose death certificate lists COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2 as a cause of death or a significant condition contributing to death but did not undergo confirmatory viral testing.

Find more information on probable cases and deaths here.

South Carolinians are encouraged to monitor for symptoms, practice social distancing, avoid touching frequently touched items (such as doorknobs and handrails), and regularly wash their hands, especially after being in a public place.

To help protect against COVID-19, DHEC encourages everyone to wear a mask covering whenever in public. When wearing a mask, South Carolinians should:

Make sure you can breathe through it
Wear it whenever going out in public
Make sure it covers your nose and mouth
Wash your hands before taking it on or off
Wash after using

You should not:

Use on children under age 2
Touch the front of the mask
Use surgical masks needed by healthcare workers

DHEC says homemade masks can reduce the chance of people spreading the virus and keep them from touching their face. They are recommended to be worn in places where social distancing is difficult -- grocery stores, pharmacies, etc...

People who have the virus but aren’t showing symptoms can reduce their chance of spreading the virus by wearing a mask, so everyone is recommended to wear one.

For a video tutorial on how to make your own mask, click or tap here.

Individuals with signs of illness are asked to stay at home and not attend public gatherings.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, is spread mainly from person-to-person by those in close contact, or through coughing and sneezing by someone who’s infected.

Symptoms of the coronavirus can show up between two and 14 days of exposure, health officials say. Symptoms include fever, cough, and shortness of breath.

For most people, COVID-19 causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. But some severe cases can lead to death.

Most people can recover from the virus at home using over-the-counter medications to treat their symptoms.

Some people who have the virus don’t show any symptoms, but they can still spread it to others. The CDC estimates that up to 35% of all cases are asymptomatic.

Those who are at the highest risk of developing a severe case of COVID-19 are the elderly and those who are already being treated for chronic medical diseases.

The CDC says about 3% of people who show symptoms of the virus need to be hospitalized, but that percentage is doubled for seniors.

Young people who contract the virus are not likely to have a serious case, research shows. However, the CDC said about 40% of people who needed to be hospitalized due to the coronavirus are between the ages of 18 and 64.

Those who are hospitalized with serious cases of COVID-19 have trouble breathing, and many need support from ventilators, which breathe for them. The U.S. is working to produce more of the machines to prepare, but experts fear a shortage of life-saving devices.

Children are the least likely to develop COVID-19. However, a serious but rare inflammatory condition in children has been linked with the coronavirus. Click or tap here to read more about that.

The mortality rate for people with the virus was first widely reported around 2 to 3%, but health experts noted at the time that the actual percentage was not that high, as not all cases are diagnosed or reported.

As of mid-May, the CDC estimates about 0.4% of people who get COVID-19 will die from it.

The rate is higher than the flu, which kills on average about 0.1% of people who get it, based on a 10-year average of data from the CDC.

Anyone with concerns about their health, or who believes they are showing symptoms such as fever, cough, or shortness of breath, should call their health care provider. Avoid going to the doctor or an emergency room unless the situation is life-threatening.

People without a doctor can take advantage of free online screening from Prisma Health and the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC).

MUSC has an online platform to aid with coronavirus diagnosis and care. Go to musc.care and access the COVID-19 platform. The service is free with code: COVID19.

Prisma Health also has a free virtual visit, which allows patients to video conference with a doctor instead of coming into a facility. The goal is to keep patients who don’t need to be treated at a hospital at home. Go to prismahealth.org/virtual-visit and use promo code COVID19 for a free virtual visit.

For more information on COVID-19, click or tap here to visit the CDC’s website.

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