Coronavirus updates for July 20: 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 13,700 COVID cases in S.C. last week

At least 1.5 million coronavirus cases have been reported in South Carolina, and at least 18,132 people have died of the virus since March 2020, according to state health officials.

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Tuesday, July 19, reported 13,772 COVID-19 cases and 13 coronavirus-related deaths for the week ending July 16. The counts include probable and confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths.

Data shows COVID-19 cases are up about 4% compared with this time last week, and hospitalizations jumped nearly 14%. As of July 16, an average 456 people in the state were hospitalized with the coronavirus, including 55 patients being treated in intensive care and 15 patients on ventilators, the latest available data shows.

The omicron variant accounted for 100% of coronavirus strains identified in South Carolina during the week of July 9, according to the latest available state data. The DHEC’s Public Health Laboratory conducts sequencing on randomly chosen samples as part of nationwide efforts to identify new strains of the virus, the agency’s website reads.

Just over 52% percent of South Carolinians eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and 60% have received at least one dose, state health data shows.

Menstrual cycle changes possible after COVID vaccine, study says

Changes to your menstrual cycle are possible but temporary after rolling up your sleeve for a COVID-19 vaccine, according to a recent study.

The report, published in the journal Science Advances on July 15, found that thousands who received two doses of the coronavirus vaccines experienced changes to their regular period, McClatchy News reported. Changes included heavier bleeding and some breakthrough bleeding.

Researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign surveyed over 39,000 fully vaccinated people aged 18 to 80 who said they’ve never tested positive for the virus. About 42% of reported heavier bleeding after at least one dose of the vaccine, while 44% said there was no change to their period, the study showed.

“Generally, changes to menstrual bleeding are not uncommon or dangerous, yet attention to these experiences is necessary to build trust in medicine,” study authors wrote.

Read the full story below.

Do menstrual cycles change after COVID vaccination? Another study finds it’s possible

Omicron BA.5 is resistant to past coronavirus vaccination, study suggests

Omicron subvariant BA.5 is not only “hypercontagious” but is also more resistant to antibody protection offered by mRNA COVID-19 vaccines such as Pfizer and Moderna, according to new research from Columbia University.

The same was true for Omicron subvariant BA.4, researchers wrote in the study published in the journal Nature on July 5. Both strains are about four times more resistant to vaccinations than the BA.2 subvariant — better known as “stealth omicron,” the study found.

“Our study suggests that as these highly transmissible subvariants continue to expand around the globe, they will lead to more breakthrough infections in people who are vaccinated and boosted with currently available mRNA vaccines,” lead researcher Dr. David D. Ho said in a statement.

Read the the full report below.

‘Hypercontagious’ omicron BA.5 variant resistant to prior COVID vaccination, study says