Coronavirus updates for March 9: 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 2,700 COVID cases added in SC last week

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Tuesday, March 7, reported 2,763 COVID-19 cases for the week ending March 4 and 40 coronavirus-related deaths for the week ending Feb. 25.

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 19,600 people have died as a result of the virus since March 2020, according to state health officials. Data shows COVID-19 cases fell about 11% compared with this time last week.

As of March 6, 194 people were hospitalized with the coronavirus in South Carolina (with 59 hospitals reporting), including 20 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 nearly 90% of all COVID-19 strains identified in South Carolina for the week ending Feb. 18, 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.

Some parents lied about kids’ COVID infections, study finds

Some parents admit they didn’t tell the truth when their children were infected with COVID-19, as many wanted to “exercise personal freedom,” a new survey finds.

Several U.S. parents also let their kids skirt quarantine rules or lied about whether their child had gotten a COVID-19 vaccine, according to results published March 6.

To come up with the findings, a team from the University of Utah Health conducted a survey of 580 parents. The results show “150, or over 25%, said they lied about their child’s COVID-19 status, didn’t follow disease prevention guidelines that were in place, lied about their child’s COVID-19 vaccination status or were otherwise dishonest or non-adherent in regards to at least one of the seven behaviors they were asked about,” McClatchy News reported March 6.

“Based on our study, it appears that many parents were concerned about their children missing school, and as a parent of three school-aged kids, I can understand that,” said Angela Fagerlin, an author on the study. “Yet, at the same time, they’re potentially exposing other kids to a serious illness. So, it’s tricky because what you might think is best for your child might not be best for other children in the classroom.”

Read more about the COVID-19 parent study here.

COVID vaccine may lower risks of some heart problems, research shows

Being vaccinated against COVID-19 may lower a person’s chance of having a stroke, heart attack or other cardiovascular problems after becoming infected, new research finds.

A team at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York reviewed data from over 1.9 million coronavirus patients and found those who had gotten at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine had a slightly lower risk of developing heart issues, results show.

“Although the findings aren’t causal, meaning COVID-19 vaccination wasn’t directly found to prevent heart issues, senior study author Dr. Girish Nadkarni said in a news release that the work ‘is supportive evidence that vaccination may have beneficial effects on a variety of post-COVID-19 complications,’” McClatchy News reported March 6.

More details about the COVID-related findings are available here.

Vanity can play role in face mask wearing, study finds

As COVID-19 continues to spread, research suggests self-image can play a role in whether a person wears face coverings.

Researchers studied the intentions behind mask usage, and the findings “demonstrated that individuals with high (vs. low) self-perceived attractiveness were less willing to wear a mask, due to a weaker endorsement of the belief that mask-wearing enhances their perceived attractiveness.”

Health officials have said face masks are one tool that people can use to help prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses, The Charlotte Observer previously reported.

More information about the recent face mask research is available here.