Local city and health leaders warned Charleston residents Thursday that the flood of infections worries hospitals with a dwindling supply of open beds.
Roper St. Francis Healthcare’s Dr. Stan Wilson said the center’s emergency room had recorded three positive tests within eight minutes on Wednesday, and that doctors were concerned about the availability of beds even when the hospital system announced that it would postpone any elective surgery. that would require an overnight stay.
As Charleston leads the state in new cases, many of the positive tests are in patients under the age of 40. But although younger people tend to experience less serious complications than their older counterparts, they are still at risk of serious effects and can pass the virus on to others.
State numbers
Number of new cases reported: 1,629
Total number of cases in SC: 39,587
Number of new deaths reported: 19
Total number of deaths in SC: 777
Number of hospitalized patients.: 1,125
Percentage of tests that were positive.: 16.9 percent
Total number of tests in SC.: 442,263
What areas are the most affected?
Greenville County led the state in confirmed new infections Thursday with 246 new positive tests, and Charleston County followed with 244 new cases. Horry saw 179, and Richland County counted 114 new positive tests.
What’s going on in the three-county region?
The tri-county continued to see high numbers of coronavirus cases on Thursday. In addition to 244 new cases in Charleston County, Berkeley County recorded 77 and Dorchester had 69.
Deceased
Of the recently deceased patients, 15 were individuals over the age of 65 living in Beaufort, Charleston, Colleton, Florence, Horry, Lexington, Richland, Spartanburg and Sumter counties. Four were between the ages of 35 and 65 and resided in Beaufort, Clarendon, Darlington and Sumter counties.
How to stop the spread
Medical experts and government officials have begged people to wear masks as cases increase. While Governor Henry McMaster refused to issue a state mandate to wear masks, several cities have enacted ordinances within the city limits.
The state Department of Health and Environmental Control has also requested that South Carolina residents avoid crowds, stay 6 feet away from other people outside their homes, and wash their hands regularly.
What do the experts say?
The increase in the number of people hospitalized with the virus has worried medical officials. Officials from South Carolina Medical University and Roper St. Francis Healthcare warned that their hospitals were preparing for a surge in new cases and urged residents to wear masks and maintain social distancing.
Contact Sara Coello at 843-937-5705 and follow her on Twitter @smlcoello.
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