Four new presumably positive cases of a disease caused by a dangerous strain of coronavirus have been identified by the Department of Health and Environmental Control of SC, bringing the total number of cases in the state to six.
Three of the new cases are being investigated in Camden and one in Spartanburg County. Two of Camden’s cases are the result of direct contact with a patient in Kershaw County in her 80s that authorities have already identified.
One of the individuals in Camden was initially hospitalized for reasons unrelated to the new coronavirus disease, COVID-19, and is now isolated in a hospital. Another case of Camden involves an elderly man who was temporarily admitted to a health facility, but is now isolated at home. Direct contact with the first patient in Kershaw County occurred before the patient was hospitalized, officials said.
The third Camden case has no known connection to the other cases. He is isolated at home.
The Spartanburg County case has no known connection to the other presumably positive cases, but the man had recently traveled to Italy. The authorities did not know whether he used Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport. He is also isolated at home.
Authorities did not release further information about the patients.
DHEC received the presumed positive results for the four new cases from its Public Health Laboratory at the end of Saturday. They notified the public on Sunday afternoon, after tracking and notifying the patients involved, a spokeswoman said.
Typically, DHEC asks individuals to monitor themselves at home for two weeks after potential exposure to the virus to check for symptoms. If the level of risk is high, they should restrict their activities, which may include staying at home and avoiding social settings, a spokeswoman said.
DHEC is still awaiting confirmation of the six cases through the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“We now have evidence of spread by the community that is probably causing these initial cases in Camden, Kershaw County, and the risk of spreading to other communities is possible, as seen in other states across the country,” Dr. Linda Bell, an epidemiologist from state, said in a press release.
On Sunday afternoon, DHEC tested 18 individuals for this strain of the new coronavirus. In addition to the six presumed positive cases, the rest were negative, officials said.
“There is no reason for public alarm or speculation,” Governor Henry McMaster said in a press release on Sunday. “It is important to remember that each individual is responsible for their own actions and personal hygiene. If you feel bad, stay home and see your doctor ”.
Authorities said on Friday that one case was identified in Kershaw County and another in Charleston County. The SC Department of Health and Environmental Control is investigating how a resident of Kershaw County, a woman in her 80s with no recent travel history, contracted the virus.
In addition, two Kershaw County students admitted to the KershawHealth emergency room when the patient was admitted were asked by school district officials to stay home this week as a precaution. The students had no direct contact with the potentially infected patient, the district said.
School officials were told that students would not be able to transmit the virus for several days. One student attends North Central High School and the other student Camden High School.
Like McMaster, health officials said the cases should not alarm the public. Even so, many stores faced shortages of hand sanitizer, soap, tissues and toilet paper, among other health products. Stores across the country and around the world have reported that customers buy in bulk the products they hope can prevent the disease from contracting the new coronavirus.
Several networks have posted limits on the amount of an item a customer can buy. Publix Super Markets has set a limit of two per customer for soaps and hand sanitizers, face masks, disinfectants and other similar products. Some Starbucks and Dunkin ‘Donuts stores have posted signs saying they would temporarily stop refilling reusable mugs and cups.
The Charleston County case was discovered when a South Carolina Medical University employee in her 30s was quarantined after returning from a trip to France and Italy. Its symptoms are mild, Dr. David Cole, president of MUSC Health, told the Post and Courier on Saturday. The Kershaw County patient is being treated in Columbia.
The patients were not publicly identified.
According to Johns Hopkins University, 497 cases of new coronavirus infections have been identified in the United States and more than 100,000 cases have been confirmed worldwide. The United States has increased its response as cases have increased, and the State Department issued a warning on Sunday that citizens avoid traveling on cruise ships, especially if they have underlying health problems.
Talk to Fleming Smith at 843-937-5591. Follow her on Twitter at @MFlemingSmith.