After fluctuating wildly for several days, the number of confirmed or presumed positive coronavirus cases held steady for the third day in a row on Thursday. However, the death toll related to the virus continued to climb … and projected death toll estimates also ticked up in response.
According to the latest release from the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC), there were 161 new confirmed or presumed positive coronavirus cases since the last batch of data was released on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the death toll from the virus hit double digits for the second time in three days – with ten new fatalities reported.
Take a look …
All told, there have been 4,917 confirmed or presumed positive cases since the agency reported the state’s first confirmed cases in early March. Meanwhile, the current death toll stands at 150 – also since state officials have been tracking data.
As we frequently point out in our coverage, officials do not yet have a firm grip on just how many South Carolinians may have had the virus prior to March.
According to the agency, seven of the newly announced fatalities were elderly individuals residing in Allendale (1), Fairfield (2), Lexington (2), Richland (1) and Spartanburg (1) counties. Meanwhile, three middle-aged residents of Aiken, Anderson and Richland counties also succumbed from exposure to the virus, according to SCDHEC.
Like the death toll, the number of projected deaths also ticked up. According to the latest projections from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) – a total of 283 South Carolinians are expected to die as result of exposure to the first wave of the virus. That estimate is up slightly from yesterday (267), but still well below the nearly 1,100 deaths IHME originally projected.
By comparison, the 2017-2018 flu season – which was a “severe” season, according to SCDHEC – killed 292 South Carolinians.
IHME is sticking with its projection that South Carolina has already passed the peak of the virus (at least in terms of fatalities).
In addition to the new case numbers and fatalities, SCDHEC also updated the number of negative tests in the Palmetto State. According to the agency, its public health laboratory has conducted 11,365 negative tests while another 28,181 negative tests have been conducted by private laboratories. That’s a total of 39,546 negative tests.
Prior to the release of Thursday’s data, South Carolina had conducted 881 tests per 100,000 citizens. That ranked the Palmetto State No. 44 nationally in testing frequency – meaning it is once again slipping toward the back of the national pack on this critical metric.
As we often point out, officials at the local, state and federal levels will continue “flying blind” when it comes to dealing with this virus until there is accurate, widespread testing showing who among us has had the virus. Also, we need to understand more about the virus itself – including more about what makes certain people more or less vulnerable to it.
Absent these facts, the great debate taking place over when to reopen the nation is ultimately unresolvable.
Nationally, as of Wednesday afternoon 852,253 Americans had tested positive for coronavirus – including 43,587 who had died as a result of being exposed to it, according to a database maintained by The New York Times. Globally, there were nearly 2.7 million confirmed cases and more than 187,000 deaths, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins.
-FITSNews
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