Coronavirus updates for April 19: 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 1,300 COVID cases added in SC last week
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Tuesday, April 18, reported 1,326 COVID-19 cases for the week ending April 15 and 13 coronavirus-related deaths for the week ending April 15.
The counts include probable and confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths.
An estimated 1.8 million coronavirus cases have been reported in the Palmetto State, and more than 19,800 people have died since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, according to state health officials. Data shows new COVID-19 cases fell about 32% compared with this time last week.
As of April 16, 75 people were hospitalized with the coronavirus in South Carolina (with 42 hospitals reporting), including 10 patients in intensive care units, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Going forward, DHEC said it will use “the CDC data for South Carolina to show our state’s Inpatient Bed Usage and Intensive Care Unit Bed Usage statistics.”
Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 accounted for almost 90% of all COVID-19 strains identified in South Carolina for the week ending April 1, data shows. 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.
The state’s latest vaccination numbers show 54% of eligible South Carolina residents have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and just over 62% have received at least one dose.
Original COVID vaccines no longer authorized — but newer ones are, FDA says
Newer, updated COVID-19 vaccines made by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech are now authorized as the main dose for those aged 6 and older as the original mRNA shots are no longer authorized, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced April 18.
People who are unvaccinated but looking to get the shot would receive a single “bivalent” dose, which includes a component of the original vaccine and another specifically targeting the omicron variant, officials said.
Most people vaccinated with the original COVID shot can receive the extra dose targeting omicron, according to the agency. People 65 and older are also encouraged to get an updated dose.
“Evidence is now available that most of the U.S. population 5 years of age and older has antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, either from vaccination or infection that can serve as a foundation for the protection provided by the bivalent vaccines,” Dr. Peter Marks, the director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in a statement.
To learn more, read the full story here.
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