Coronavirus updates for Jan. 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.

SC adds more than 7,800 COVID cases last week

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Wednesday, Jan. 18, reported 7,845 COVID-19 cases for the week ending Jan. 14 and 68 coronavirus-related deaths for the week ending Jan. 7.

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 just over 19,000 people have died as a result of the virus since March 2020, according to state health officials. Data shows COVID cases fell nearly 30% compared with this time last week.

As of Jan. 18, a total of 563 people were hospitalized with the coronavirus in South Carolina (with 61 hospitals reporting), and 70 patients were being treated in intensive care units, according to the latest totals.

The omicron subvariant BA.5 accounted for about 86% of all COVID-19 strains identified in South Carolina for the week ending Dec. 31, 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.

23 SC counties should mask up in public, officials say. Here’s where

Residents in nearly two dozen South Carolina counties should consider wearing a face mask in public as COVID-19 cases surge, federal health officials say.

As of Jan. 18, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “COVID Community Levels” map shows 23 counties with high levels of the virus — up from 21 counties last week, The State reported. Nineteen counties had medium COVID levels and four reported low levels.

The counties listed include Richland, Spartanburg, Cherokee, Florence and others.

The public health agency recommends communities with a high rate of coronavirus wear face masks in indoor public spaces and on public transportation, according to the newspaper. Health officials also suggest staying up to date on COVID vaccinations and getting tested if you begin experiencing symptoms.

For more information on community COVID levels, read the full story here.

Dealing with long COVID? Study finds common point when symptoms subside

COVID-19 symptoms can stick around for weeks or even months after initial infection, a phenomenon now known as “long COVID.”

However, a new study offers insight into when lingering symptoms could subside, signaling a cutoff point for COVID long haulers, McClatchy News reported.

The report, published Jan. 11 in the journal The BMJ, found that symptoms vanished within a year for most people who experienced a mild COVID-19 infection.

The study was conducted in Israel, where researchers examined the health records of nearly 2 million Israeli patients, vaccinated and unvaccinated, who were tested for the virus between March 2020 and October 2021, McClatchy News reported.

Researchers found that long COVID symptoms were “more prominent” in the first six after infection before they eventually subsided.

The results suggest “that mild disease does not lead to serious or chronic long term morbidity in the vast majority of patients,” researchers wrote.

Read more about the study here.

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