Four potential new cases of coronavirus in SC being investigated by DHEC
Four new possible coronavirus cases are being investigated in South Carolina, including two connected to a Camden woman who is presumed to have the virus in addition to a third from the Kershaw County city, according to the Department of Health and Environmental Control.
That brings the total of presumed cases of COVID-19 in South Carolina to six, DHEC officials said Sunday in a news release.
“We now have evidence of community spread that’s likely to be causing these initial cases in Camden in Kershaw County and the risk of spread to other communities is possible, as seen in other states across the country,” DHEC epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell said in the release. “We are working with the CDC and state and local officials to limit community spread while continuing with our protocol for identifying travel-related cases in the state.”
The new cases do not include two Midlands high school students who were working as interns at KershawHealth when the Camden woman was being treated for coronavirus symptoms at the hospital’s emergency room. Those students have been isolated as a precaution.
“Healthcare authorities in South Carolina are following established protocols and procedures in addressing the 2019 Novel Coronavirus,” Gov. Henry McMaster said Sunday following the news of four new potential cases. “There is no cause for public alarm or speculation.”
Two of these four new cases are patients who had direct, or close face-to-face contact, with the Camden woman in her 80s who was announced as a presumptive positive on March 6, DHEC officials said.
One of these two individuals is a woman who was hospitalized for reasons unrelated to COVID-19 and now is isolated, according to the release.
The other individual, an older man, was temporarily admitted to a health care facility, was discharged, and is currently isolated at home, officials said.
Their relationship with the Camden woman was not made public, but DHEC officials said they would be considered either close friends or relatives.
The contacts with the Camden woman occurred before she was hospitalized, according to Bell. “These transmissions did not occur in the hospital.’‘
Other friends and family of the Camden woman initially diagnosed are being told to stay home and get tested.
“We are doing exactly that, recommending quarantine for the close contacts, meaning that they avoid going out in public and that they monitor for symptoms during 14 days, and if they develop symptoms, that they report to us,’‘ Bell said. “We are taking special measures for the close contacts in the case.’‘
A third new case is a man from Camden with no known connection to the other presumptive positive cases from that city, DHEC said. That person was evaluated at a health care facility, was not hospitalized and is currently isolated at home.
The fourth new case is a man from Spartanburg County with no known connection, at this time, to any of the other presumptive positive cases, according to the release. He is not hospitalized and is currently isolated at home after recently traveling to Italy.
DHEC officials said they did not know if the man traveled back to South Carolina from Italy through the Greenville Spartanburg airport. But the agency expects to know that Monday, officials said.
The man first showed symptoms March 3, after returning from Italy, and that was reported to DHEC two days later. Lab test results came in late Saturday night, DHEC’s Jennifer Read said.
Information on the ages of the new patients was not available.
Not included in DHEC’s release was a student from North Central High School, and another from Camden High. They were in the emergency room at KershawHealth when the Camden woman was a patient in the hospital but did not have “direct contact” with her, the Kershaw County School District said.
As a precaution, the school district said it asked the families involved to “self-isolate” for the next week. This is the same procedure followed by KershawHealth employees, according to the school district.
“It’s important to remember that each individual is responsible for their own actions and personal hygiene,” McMaster said. “If you feel sick, stay home and contact your doctor.”
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhat you should know about the coronavirus
What is coronavirus?
Coronavirus is an infection of the respiratory system similar to the flu. Coronaviruses are a class of viruses that regularly cause illnesses among adults and children, but this outbreak has spawned a new disease called COVID-19, a particularly harsh respiratory condition that can lead to death.
Health officials believe COVID-19 spread from animals to humans somewhere in China. It spreads among humans by physical person-to-person contact, including via coughs. That’s why health officials urge sick individuals to avoid contact with other people.
For more information, visit the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms are similar to the flu and include fever, coughing and shortness of breath.
How can I stop the spread of the coronavirus?
Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, and cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.
If you develop symptoms similar to the coronavirus, you should seek medical attention. Stay home from work or school and avoid contact with others. It can take up to 14 days after coming into contact with the virus to develop symptoms.
COVID-19 is a new condition and there’s much about the disease we still don’t understand. For now, taking precautions is the best way to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
DHEC alerted the public Friday night about the first two presumed positive tests. The two cases were not linked, Bell said.
The Camden woman in her 80s is hospitalized at Prisma Health Richland Hospital, officials said in a news release. The hospital is off Harden Street near I-277.
She was taken to the Richland County hospital for a higher level of care, DHEC said.
“The patient is in a special isolation room that helps keeps our team members and the community safe,” the hospital’s statement said. “Because of our expertise, Prisma Health routinely treats patients with potentially infectious diseases and follows extensive protocols to ensure the safety of our patients, team members, community and visitors.”
Authorities are unsure how the woman caught the virus. She had not traveled recently, a DHEC official said. Authorities are trying to figure out everyone she has come in contact with.
The woman first saw symptoms on Feb. 27 and was given the coronavirus test on March 5, officials said.
Another woman in Charleston, who’s in her 30s, is also presumed to have contracted the virus. She was recently in Italy and France and flew back to South Carolina through Charleston, a DHEC official said. MUSC said the woman is affiliated with the university.
Officials described her case as mild, adding that she did not require hospitalization.
“We understand residents will have concerns about this new indication of community spread, however, I urge the public to remain calm and follow recommendations to prevent the spread of illness. Public health events like this one are not new to South Carolina,” Bell said in the release. “As a state, we have responded to Zika, the H1N1 influenza pandemic, SARS, and others — including seasonal flu outbreaks, and our medical consultants conduct more than 700 disease investigations each year for a variety of illnesses. We have trained, prepared, and put systems in place to ensure that we are prepared and ready to respond to this and other events.”
McMaster previously announced that MUSC is opening up a telemedicine program that South Carolina residences can visit online to talk about any flu-like symptoms so that state health officials can know about any cases of coronavirus quickly. The service is free to South Carolinians and can be accessed at musc.care. Click on the COVID19 link at the top. The password for South Carolina residents is covid19.
As of Sunday, 109,829 people worldwide have been diagnosed with coronavirus and 3,802 people have died, according to Johns Hopkins University. In the United States, 534 people have been diagnosed with the novel virus. Twenty-one deaths have been reported, including 17 in King County, Washington, according to Johns Hopkins University and NBC News.
Symptoms of coronavirus vary from mild to severe and include coughing, sneezing and shortness of breath, according to the CDC.
The best way to prevent infection is to wash hands for 20 seconds; avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth; avoid contact with sick people and clean frequently touched objects with a cleaning spray or wipe, according to the CDC.
The U.S. Surgeon General has urged members of the public to avoid buying protective masks because they are ineffective at preventing coronavirus, and buying them saps vital resources for health officials who need them.
DHEC is following guidance from the CDC and officials said they do not recommend closing schools or canceling public events at this time.
This is a developing story. Check back for more details.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREThis is a breaking news story
In a breaking news situation, facts can be unclear and the situation may still be developing. The State is trying to get important information to the public as quickly and accurately as possible. This story will be updated as more information becomes available, and some information in this story may change as the facts become clearer. Refresh this page later for more updated information.
This story was originally published March 8, 2020 at 5:17 PM with the headline "Four potential new cases of coronavirus in SC being investigated by DHEC."
