The number of new COVID-19 cases in South Carolina has been steadily declining since an early January peak, yet Palmetto State is consistently at the top of the national rankings.
Adapted to the size of the population of each state, the daily new reports of COVID-19 in South Carolina are approximately two weeks in a row in The COVID Tracking Project’s no.
A weekly White House report also puts South Carolina in the worst position for new cases, with a rate nearly double the national average and 20 percent higher than New York, which was the second rank. In the week before the report was released on February 17, South Carolina was 7th in the rankings of new hospital admissions.
Statewide numbers
New cases reported: 1,585 confirmed, 393 probably.
Total cases in SC: 432 780 confirmed, 65 157 probable.
Percent positive: 9 percent.
New deaths reported: 51 confirmed, 13 likely.
Total deaths in SC: 7,325 confirmed, 88 probably.
Percentage of ICU beds filled: 77 percent.
How does SC count in vaccines administered per 100,000 people?
42 on February 18, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.
Areas hardest hit
In the total number of newly confirmed cases, the counties of Greenville (197), Richland (139) and Horry (137) were the highest.
What about the tri-county?
Charleston County had 101 new cases on Feb. 19, while Berkeley counted 28 and Dorchester 25.
Deaths
One of the newly confirmed deaths from COVID-19, reported February 19, was at the age of 18 to 34 years. Twelve were in people aged 35 to 64 years and the rest were patients aged 65 and older.
Hospitalizations
Of the 1,122 COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital as of Feb. 19, 265 were in the ICU and 151 used ventilators.
What do experts say?
With 13.8 million gunshots across the United States, the CDC said in a research report on February 19 that the safety data remains reassuring.
Everyone who administers vaccines must report “adverse events” to government health officials. Of all the doses given, there were 7000 reports of side effects. Nine out of ten of the incidents were not serious, which includes symptoms such as headache, nausea, dizziness, chills and fatigue.
“These initial findings should provide assurance to healthcare providers and vaccine recipients and promote confidence in the safety of COVID-19 vaccines,” CDC researchers wrote. They added that the system that monitors the safety of the vaccine is the largest of its kind in US history.
And although 113 people died within days of receiving the vaccine, no deaths were linked to a COVID-19 vaccination.
