As more Southern Carolinians test positive for COVID-19 than in any other month of the pandemic, hospitals are almost full, emergency departments are overloaded and fan use has increased.
In the first two weeks of 2021 alone, more than 45,200 people in Palmetto state were confirmed to be infected with the coronavirus, including more than 4,800 on Wednesday, just a few hundred shy of the record 5,077 cases announced on January 6, according to the State Department of Health and Environmental Control.
There have been around 337,900 confirmed cases and 5,420 confirmed deaths related to the virus in the state.
Wednesday’s update included 72 new cases in Sumter, 16 in Clarendon and 19 in Lee counties.
“Until the COVID-19 vaccines become more readily available and enough people are vaccinated, we must all take action now or continue to face an unprecedented number of cases that are overwhelming our hospitals and health systems, as well as taking the lives of the people we love, ”said Dr. Brannon Traxler, interim director of public health at DHEC. “To do this, each of us must commit ourselves again to the fight. We are all on the front lines. If we don’t act now, we could face many dark months ahead. “
On January 12, 88.6% of the total positive cases for which DHEC has symptom data recovered, according to provisional data.
In the midst of a slow launch of arms vaccines and long waiting times to schedule appointments as the state opened eligibility for anyone aged 70 and over this week, health centers are trying to increase their vaccination capacity.
Prisma Health, which operates the Tuomey Hospital in Sumter, announced on Wednesday that it is setting up community vaccination sites next week with the expectation of up to 10,000 injections administered per day, although they are currently only scheduled to take place in Greenville and Columbia, the hardest hit areas in the state.
A health system press release said that access will expand as more vaccine supplies become available to South Carolina and that she plans to use mobile health clinics to reach rural communities in the state. Some of these specially equipped vans may be ready by the end of February, the statement said.
Prisma Health’s outpatient medical director, Saria Saccocio, co-leader of the health system’s vaccination task force, said at a news conference last week that there were only three moderate reactions to the vaccine and no serious reactions to injections administered with Prisma .
Rising cases and slow vaccine release occur as South Carolina, like other states in the country, continues to face an “unprecedented increase in patient hospitalizations, causing a decrease in bed availability in our emergency departments, hospitals, intensive care units and ventilator supplies, ”said a statement from DHEC on Wednesday.
DHEC said that many hospitals are starting to cancel elective services again to “deal with the overwhelming increase in patient numbers”.
Prisma Health President and CEO Mark O’Halla said in a recent press release that staff is a “daily challenge” because of their exposure to the community and the need for quarantine.
“As soon as we have more people vaccinated, we can open more beds,” he said.
Because of the sustained outbreak, DHEC is moving from containment to mitigation, which means that there are many cases across the state to be investigated individually. Now, instead of trying to find contacts close to each case, investigations will be prioritized for those who have tested positive or been diagnosed in the past six days, and the public should not expect any notification that they have been exposed to a case.
State epidemiologist, Dr. Linda Bell, warned of this situation if new cases exceeded 1,000 a day during the summer, when the virus reached unprecedented levels. These levels have been doubling regularly since Christmas.
Until enough people are vaccinated, which can last most of the year, public health officials emphasize the importance of personal surveillance.
“Our chance of getting the best result depends on all of us doing our part,” said DHEC’s Traxler.
She said the public can take “small steps that make a big difference”, like wearing a mask, getting tested and staying at home when you are sick, taking the test regularly if you are in the community and unable to physically distance yourself, avoiding big meetings and “when your time comes, get vaccinated”.
Individuals eligible to receive the vaccine can complete an online form to obtain their vaccines through Prisma Health at www.PrismaHealth.org/vaccine to start the process. Those who do not have access to a computer or who do not have an individual email account can call 833-2PRISMA (833-277-4762).
To find other locations, call the DHEC hotline at 1-855-472-3432 or go to https://bit.ly/3bIPLwu.