Widespread flu cases quadruple in SC. Here’s where it’s hitting hardest

Patrick McCreless

The total number of flu cases has quadrupled in South Carolina over the last three weeks, with widespread reports of the virus across multiple counties.

“Although we are early into the new flu season, we already are experiencing widespread activity and we are preparing for significant flu activity this year,” Dr. Linda Bell, state epidemiologist, said in a recent press release.

There have been 8,612 reported flu cases in South Carolina this season as of Oct. 29, the latest data from the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control shows. It’s more than four times the 2,048 cases reported in the state three weeks ago.

The data also shows the growth in the number of new cases reported each week has accelerated.

  • The week of Oct. 23: 3,524 confirmed flu cases

  • The week of Oct. 16: 1,827 confirmed flu cases

  • The week of Oct. 9: 1,083 confirmed flu cases

  • The week of Oct. 2: 788 confirmed flu cases

The latest data indicates that 10.8% of patient visits to healthcare providers were for flu-like illness, which is above the state’s 3.6% baseline — the flu-like illness activity level overall was high, DHEC says. Only 4.3% of visits were above the state’s baseline the previous week.

Also for the week of Oct. 23, there were 251 flu-associated hospitalizations reported by 46 hospitals. There have been 423 such hospitalizations reported so far this flu season — up from the 80 total reported a week earlier.

To date this season, there have been five flu-associated deaths reported in the state.

“Lexington Medical Center is experiencing an early start to the 2022-2023 flu season. September and October flu case numbers have been the highest we’ve seen since the start of the COVID pandemic in early 2020,” Donald Moore, MD, Urgent Care physician with Lexington Medical Center, said in a press release. “In the last week, we have averaged 100 positive cases per day in our emergency room, urgent cares and physician practices.”

Here are all the counties that reported flu activity above the state baseline for the week of Oct. 23.

  1. Oconee

  2. Pickens

  3. Greenville

  4. Spartanburg

  5. York

  6. Laurens

  7. Newberry

  8. Edgefield

  9. Lexington

  10. Richland

  11. Orangeburg

  12. Colleton

  13. Charleston

  14. Jasper

  15. Chesterfield

  16. Darlington

  17. Florence

  18. Dillon

  19. Horry

DHEC and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that everyone 6 months old and older get vaccinated against the flu. Vaccination to prevent flu is particularly important for people who are at increased risk of complications from the virus, including young children, adults aged 50 years and older, pregnant women and people with certain chronic medical conditions, DHEC says.

For details on where to get flu shots in South Carolina, click here.

“For more than two years, the state’s hospitals and health systems have served on the front lines of the pandemic, encouraging South Carolinians to take precautionary measures, such as handwashing and access the appropriate immunizations to reduce infections,” Thornton Kirby, president and CEO of the SC Hospital Association, said in the press release. “Now we are asking individuals to utilize those same measures to stem the tide of flu, RSV and potential COVID cases impacting our healthcare providers.”

Take these steps daily to reduce the impacts of respiratory illnesses on yourself, your loved ones and the state’s hospitals.

  • Wash your hands often

  • Cover your cough or sneeze

  • Wear a mask if you are most at risk

  • Stay home and away from others when sick

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