Coronavirus updates for Nov. 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.

More than 4,000 COVID cases in SC last week

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Tuesday, Nov. 8, reported 4,087 COVID-19 cases and six coronavirus-related deaths for the week ending Nov. 5.

The counts include probable and confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths.

An estimated 1.7 million coronavirus cases have been reported in South Carolina, and more than 18,600 people have died of the virus since March 2020, according to state health officials.

Data shows COVID-19 cases are up about 17% compared with this time last week with hospitalizations remaining unchanged. As of Nov. 5, an average of 220 people in the state were hospitalized with the coronavirus, including 26 patients being treated in intensive care and 10 patients on ventilators, the latest data shows.

The omicron subvariant BA.5 accounted for about 86% of coronavirus strains identified in South Carolina for the week ending Oct. 22, followed by subvariant BA.4.6 (13.9%), according to the latest data. 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.

About 53% of South Carolinians eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and nearly 62% have received at least one dose, state health data shows.

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SC health officials clarify position on COVID vaccine requirement

There are no plans to add the coronavirus vaccine to the list of mandated immunizations for day care or school entry, according to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.

However, the agency will continue recommending the shot for most South Carolinians, The State reported.

DHEC set the record straight last week following a statement from Republican Attorney General Alan Wilson, who criticized recommendations from a CDC advisory committee to include the COVID-19 vaccine on the agency’s list of recommended immunizations for kids, according to the newspaper.

The state currently doesn’t follow all vaccine requirements recommended by the CDC and has no plans to add the COVID shot to the list, a DHEC spokesperson confirmed to The State.

“DHEC’s experts continue to review the growing evidence and research about COVID-19 vaccines, and our recommendations have not changed,” DHEC spokesman Ron Aiken said. “The vaccine is safe and effective for the vast majority of people, including children 6 months and older.”

Read the full story here.

Paxlovid cuts risk of developing some long COVID symptoms, study suggests

Antiviral pill Paxlovid may reduce the risk of developing lingering coronavirus symptoms — better known as “long COVID,” a new study suggests.

The report, published in the pre-print server medRxiv on Nov. 5, found that people who started a Paxlovid regimen within five days of testing positive for coronavirus were 26% less likely to experience some long COVID symptoms, McClatchy News reported.

For the study, researchers analyzed U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs records of 56,340 people who tested positive for the virus between March and June. Some long COVID symptoms included fatigue, muscle pain and heart issues.

“Paxlovid reduces the risk of severe COVID-19 in the acute phase, and now, we have evidence that it can help reduce the risk of long COVID,” lead study author Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, said in a news release.

The medical sciences survey is run by Yale University, BMJ and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. The latest report is a pre-print and has not been peer-reviewed.

To learn more, read the full story here.

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