A York County death, 80 new tri-county COVID-19 cases, but is the case count slowing?
Another death in York County and 40 more positive COVID-19 tests were announced Friday by the state health department.
The death is an elderly person in York County, who died Aug. 8. It’s one of 16 confirmed and three probable coronavirus deaths statewide announced Friday.
York County also had 40 confirmed and two probable coronavirus cases announced Friday. Lancaster County added 26 confirmed cases and Chester County had 14 confirmed and one probable. Statewide there were 1,015 new confirmed cases and 20 new probable cases announced.
The state now has 103,880 confirmed and 961 probable cases during the pandemic, with 2,106 confirmed and 98 probable deaths.
Yet for the work week, numbers in York County are lower than they had been. In July York County averaged more than 60 new cases per day. York County hasn’t had 60 or more cases in a day since Aug. 7. Since then, there have been on average fewer than 37 cases per day.
Lancaster and Chester counties have been closer to their July averages the past week.
Earlier in the week, Fort Mill let its prior public mask requirement expire and Lancaster County voted not to start a mask mandate. In both instances, elected officials or members of the public questioned the validity of COVID-19 test figures -- like concerns that the same person may be counted as positive several times.
On a conference call Friday afternoon, Department of Health and Environmental Control physician consultant Brannon Traxler said test validity shouldn’t be a concern.
“We do have confidence in our tests,” Traxler said. “I cannot think of any false positives or negatives. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen. It’s not prevalent.”
Initial test results had to go to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for confirmation, Traxler said, and there weren’t discrepancies.
“It’s extremely accurate, and people should trust the results they get from it,” Traxler said.
There are mandates for the state related to how many tests are conducted, but the greater concern is how testing reveals the health of the state.
“It’s not just to meet numbers, but it’s to beat the spread of disease,” Traxler said. “People just really need to get tested if they have any concern at all that they may be positive.”
Test results, hospitals
As of Thursday there have been 912,936 tests conducted in South Carolina. On Thursday, there were 6,763 tests reported to the state Department of Health and Environmental Control with a positive result rate of 15%.
Of 83 hospitals reporting statewide, almost 82% of inpatient beds are in use. More than 77% of intensive care unit beds are in use. Almost 34% of the state’s ventilators are in use.
COVID-19 patients are using 1,296 hospital beds (15% of capacity), 327 ICU beds (25%) and 198 ventilators (15%).
York County reports 85% hospital bed use, with 47 beds available. Lancaster County reports 70% bed usage, with 25 beds available. Chester County reports 92% bed usage, with one bed available.
Cases by ZIP code
As of Thursday night, there are cases in the following ZIP codes:
York County
▪ 29702 - 88
▪ 29704 - 52
▪ 29708 - 370
▪ 29710 - 420
▪ 29715 - 437
▪ 29717 - 16
▪ 29726 - 14
▪ 29730 - 929
▪ 29732 - 890
▪ 29742 - 29
▪ 29743 - 7
▪ 29745 - 408
Lancaster County
▪ 29058 - 59
▪ 29067 - 124
▪ 29707 - 247
▪ 29720 - 906
Chester County
▪ 29014 - 42
▪ 29031 - 23
▪ 29055 - 107
▪ 29706 - 451
▪ 29712 - 26
▪ 29714 - 52
▪ 29729 - 61
Test sites
Affinity Health Center offers free drive-thru testing 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday at the York Technical College in Rock Hill.
A free test event at the YMCA at the Complex in Fort Mill will be held 8-11 a.m. Aug. 18.
The Emmett Scott Rec Center in Rock Hill has a free event 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Aug. 28. Statewide, there are 129 mobile test events planned through Oct. 13. For more information on area test sites, visit scdhec.gov.
COVID-19 demographics
DHEC released new demographic data on coronavirus patients Friday. It shows:
▪ The average age for a patient who tests positive for coronavirus is 42. The average age for a coronavirus death is 74.
▪ The most common age ranges among positive coronavirus tests are 21-30 (20%), 31-40 (16%) and 41-50 (15%). The most common age ranges for coronavirus deaths are 81 and older (39%), 71-80 (29%) and 61-70 (19%).
▪ White residents make up 44% of all positive coronavirus cases in South Carolina and 52% of all coronavirus deaths, compared to Black residents at 34% of positive tests and 39% of all deaths.
▪ Women account for 53% of positive case and 48% of deaths.
▪ At the time of illness, 12% of all positive cases required hospitalization. The recovery rate is 90%.
Healthcare facilities, nursing homes
The state has 349 nursing homes and assisted living facilities to report at least one COVID-19 case since early April. Those facilities reported 6,271 cases and 866 deaths.
There have been 5,296 coronavirus cases among healthcare workers.
Student health
A new web portal will provide information, resources and professional development on social emotional learning for students as the coronavirus pandemic continues.
“We understand how critical the social and emotional components of a child’s learning is,” said State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman.
“With schools having to adjust their instructional plans during COVID-19, it is imperative that they have access to resources that will benefit students’ well-being,” state education superintendent Molly Spearman said in a release Friday. “The...web portal will be a valuable asset for students, parents, and teachers during the upcoming school year.”
Social-emotional learning involves the application of knowledge, attitudes and skills to understand and manage emotions, per the education department release. Research shows students who receive social and emotional learning support do better academically, socially and behaviorally, it states.
“Addressing social emotional wellness and teaching the whole child has long been critical, but no more so than today as we continue to live through this historic pandemic,” said Krysten Douglas with the Office of Special Education Services.
For more info, visit sel.ed.sc.gov.
Senior health
AARP South Carolina and the South Carolina Behavioral Health Coalition held a telephone town hall Friday morning for the more than 100,000 AARP members statewide. Gov. Henry McMaster joined leading health experts to address mental, behavioral and other health issues brought on by the pandemic and resources seniors can use.
“Grief, isolation, loneliness, anxiety,” said Patrice Harris, immediate past president of the American Medical Association and a foremost expert on opioid addiction. “Something we’re not talking about enough is trauma.”
Gerald Harmon, president elect of the AMA and a long-time South Carolina physician, said COVID-19 has grown healthcare tremendously through online or phone healthcare options, yet still patients experience limited access to care. The pandemic has been difficult on the medical community too, he said.
Emotional distress related to pandemic comes on top of pre-existing health issues, he said, like widespread opiod use.
“We were already in the midst of that before we added this coronavirus pandemic,” Harmon said.
Seniors face challenges from loss of independence to reduced social interaction, from not being able to shop for groceries to having grandchildren stop visiting, experts said. Anxiety, fear and loss of control are issues. Inability to have traditional funerals can be a concern.
“Grief, I think we need to continue to talk about,” Harris said. “We talk about grief with loss of life. I don’t think we should underestimate the loss of our typical routine.”
Gerald Wilson, retired surgeon and chairman of the South Carolina Behavioral Health Coalition, said seniors sometimes have to come up with new ways to express emotion.
“One of the greatest thing I’ve noticed through this is the loss of personal touch,” he said.
Deborah Blalock with the South Carolina Department of Mental Health said her agency hasn’t closed during the pandemic. There are telehealth, phone and in-person options to discuss substance abuse, mental health, unemployment and related issues.
There is a 24-7 SCHopes support line at 844-727-6737 and the state received grant money to help offset some costs for mental health services.
“There is absolutely no reason in this universe for people not to seek services, if they need services,” Blalock said.
Experts say it’s important for seniors to guard against weariness.
“When there’s a hurricane, there’s an end in sight,” Blalock said. “When there’s a flood, there’s an end in sight. When there’s a massive fire, there’s an end in site. (With the pandemic) There’s no end in sight.”
