Coronavirus updates for Feb. 23: 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.

About 4,000 COVID cases added in SC last week

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Wednesday, Feb. 22, reported 4,106 COVID-19 cases for the week ending Feb. 18 and 44 coronavirus-related deaths for the week ending Feb. 11.

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 over 19,400 people have died as a result of the virus since March 2020, according to state health officials. Data shows COVID-19 cases fell about 15% compared with this time last week.

As of Feb. 20, 259 people were hospitalized with the coronavirus in South Carolina (with 58 hospitals reporting), including 52 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.

Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5 made up about 50% of all COVID-19 strains identified in South Carolina for the week ending Feb. 4, 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.

What to do if you test positive for COVID-19?

Almost three years after the coronavirus pandemic started, many people who feel sick have turned to at-home COVID-19 tests.

But those testing kits can expire, so experts recommend checking for a date on the packaging. People also can go online to check whether their test’s shelf life has been extended, McClatchy News reported on Feb. 17.

“COVID-19 tests and the parts they are made of may degrade, or break down, over time,” U.S. Food and Drug Administration wrote on its website. “Because of this, expired test kits could give inaccurate or invalid test results.”

If you test positive for COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends staying away from others for at least five days, sharing your diagnosis with people you recently spent time with and wearing a face mask near household members. People are urged to seek medical care if they have emergency symptoms, such as breathing issues.

Also, doctors can help people at risk for serious illness with getting the antiviral drug Paxlovid and other treatment options.

Read more about the latest testing-related guidance here.

Coronavirus infections give temporary protection, study finds

A past coronavirus infection can give “durable” protection against serious illness from COVID-19, new research shows.

Still, experts say getting a COVID-19 vaccine is the best way to avoid getting seriously sick.

“Vaccination is the safest way to acquire immunity, whereas acquiring natural immunity must be weighed against the risks of severe illness and death associated with the initial infection,” Dr. Stephen Lim, a lead author on the study, wrote in a statement.

The findings were published Feb. 16 after a team from the University of Washington looked at dozens of past studies from around the world.

“The protection offered by natural immunity against COVID-19 hospitalization and death lasts for nearly a year, the study found,” McClatchy News reported. “Specifically, a person’s risk of needing hospital treatment for the virus or dying from it was 88% lower for at least 10 months.”

More information about the COVID-19 study is available here.

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