South Carolina health officials released updated case information related to the coronavirus pandemic on Wednesday afternoon, providing the latest snapshot of the spread of the outbreak in the Palmetto State as elected officials mulled how and when to lift lockdown measures.
According to the latest release from the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC), there were 160 new confirmed or presumed positive cases since the last batch of data was released on Tuesday. That puts the statewide total at 4,761 confirmed or presumed positive cases since the agency reported the state’s first confirmed cases in early March.
Here is a look at the trend lines …
In addition to the new case information, SCDHEC announced that five more South Carolinians had passed away as a result of exposure to the virus – bringing the statewide death toll to 140.
According to the agency, three of the newly announced deaths were elderly individuals from Berkeley, Clarendon and Richland counties. Two were middle-aged individuals from Greenville and Spartanburg counties. SCDHEC did not indicate whether any of the five who died had underlying health conditions.
Yesterday, SCDHEC released updated information showing that 72 percent of South Carolinians who have tested positive for the virus have recovered compared to 28 percent who were still “ill.” That number was better than the 67 percent recovery rate announced by the agency last week.
More good news? Projections for total confirmed cases and deaths related to the virus (or at least its first wave) have both dropped dramatically over the past week.
First, SCDHEC lowered its estimate for projected cases – announcing on Monday that it was expecting to see 6,953 confirmed cases by May 9. Previously, the agency had projected a total of 8,677 confirmed cases by May 2.
Meanwhile, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) dramatically lowered its fatality projections for the virus in the Palmetto State – from an original estimate of nearly 1,100 earlier this month to a revised estimate of 261 on Wednesday afternoon.
By comparison, the 2017-2018 flu season killed 292 South Carolinians.
These downwardly revised estimates have prompted state officials to begin relaxing or rescinding previous social distancing orders. However, on Wednesday morning South Carolina governor Henry McMaster announced that government-run schools in the Palmetto State would remain closed through the end of the current academic year.
The decision was not surprising, but it constituted a reality check for many parents across the state.
Nationally, as of Wednesday afternoon 822,239 Americans had tested positive for coronavirus – including 41,683 who had died as a result of being exposed to it, according to a database maintained by The New York Times. Globally, there were more than 2.6 million confirmed cases and nearly 183,000 deaths, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins.
From the beginning of the outbreak, policymakers have struggled to get comprehensive, accurate data on the virus – leading to uninformed, reactionary and disjointed decision-making.
And while testing has dramatically expanded, there remains no viable data (or viable estimates) for how many Americans currently have the virus (and have died from it) and how many had it (and died from it) prior to government tracking its spread.
As we have consistently noted, until there is widespread, reliable testing for both the virus and its antibodies – we will never know the extent to which our nation remains exposed.
-FITSNews
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