Coronavirus updates for Feb. 16: 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 4,800 COVID cases added in SC last week
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Tuesday, Feb. 14, reported 4,799 COVID-19 cases for the week ending Feb. 11 and 41 coronavirus-related deaths for the week ending Feb. 4.
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 19,393 people have died as a result of the virus since March 2020, according to state health officials. Data shows COVID-19 cases fell about 13% compared with this time last week.
As of Feb. 12, 263 people were hospitalized with the coronavirus in South Carolina (with 55 hospitals reporting), including 34 patients being treated in intensive care units, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Going forward, SC 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” starting Feb. 2.
The omicron subvariant BA.5 made up about 97% of all COVID-19 strains identified in South Carolina for the week ending Jan. 28, 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 nearly 54% of eligible South Carolina residents have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and 62% have received at least one dose.
CDC adds COVID shots to list of routine vaccines for kids, adults
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its list of routine vaccinations for kids and adults to include the COVID-19 vaccine, McClatchy News reported.
The shots didn’t make it onto the agency’s list last year but are the latest addition to the 2023 routine immunization schedule, which now includes updated boosters. The list recommends people aged 6 years or older who are eligible for a COVID vaccine to roll up their sleeves for the primary vaccine series and a booster dose.
Updated guidance for the flu and pneumococcal vaccines, and a new measles vaccine, are included in the updated recommendations.
“Immunizations are among the most cost-effective and successful way to keep ourselves, our families, and our communities healthy,” the American Academy of Family Physicians President Dr. Tochi Iroku-Malize told McClatchy News in a statement.
To learn more, read the full story here.
Study: Long COVID, money woes often follow COVID hospitalizations
Lingering symptoms aren’t the only issue patients may face after a COVID-19 infection lands them in the hospital, according to a new study.
About half of patients treated for the virus at a hospital are likely to experience long COVID symptoms and financial issues after they’re discharged, McClatchy News reported, citing the report.
The study, published Feb. 14 in the journal JAMA Network Open, also found that long haulers are likely to develop new health issues at least six months after a COVID hospitalization. They include symptoms affecting the heart and lungs, such as coughing and rapid heart beat.
For the study, researchers analyzed 825 adults treated for the coronavirus at 44 U.S. medical centers between August 2020 and July 2021.
Based on the report’s findings, “it seems that many people hospitalized for COVID-19 should expect symptoms to last for up to six months or even longer,” lead study author Dr. Andrew J. Admon said in a statement.
Read the full story here.
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