COVID-19 updates: South Carolina health officials reported 324 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, with 178 probable cases on Wednesday, with six additional confirmed deaths.
With 6,250 tests reported Wednesday, 7.9% were positive.
As of April 7 via S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control:
Confirmed cases in S.C.: 468,939 (+324)
Total positive cases in Charleston County: 41,134
Total positive cases in Berkeley County: 16,450
Total positive cases in Dorchester County: 16,576
Deaths in S.C. from COVID-19: 8,118 (+6)
MODELING
CURRENT GUIDELINES
State and federal health officials strongly recommend the following public health precautions to keep you safe:
- Wear a cloth mask when in public. It should cover your mouth and nose. Don’t take it from us, here’s the CDC on… Why you should wear a mask and How to wear a mask.
- Maintain social distancing. Stay at least 6 feet from others at all times, particularly in public or in enclosed spaces.
- Avoid touching your face.
- Regularly wash your hands with soap.
- Monitor your symptoms. Symptoms can appear two days to two weeks after exposure. What to watch for (CDC) | Watch for these symptoms (DHEC)
- Disinfect high-touch surfaces daily. Cleaning recommendations.
- Stay at home if you’re sick. If you’re worried or think you might be sick, stay at home.
- Get tested. If you think you’ve been exposed to COVID-19, get tested. DHEC has a list of sites statewide where you can be tested. SCDHEC suggests that people who are out in the community, cannot social distance, or wear a mask get tested at least monthly.
- If you think you’re sick, contact your health care provider. Related: List of virtual telehealth virtual care providers in South Carolina
What else you can do
- Communicate with your peers. Let them know electronically and by social media that you take the virus seriously and encourage them to follow the precautions listed above.
- Share scientific information. As businesses reopen, people may get a false sense that everything is back to normal. Let them know it isn’t by sharing resources with them.
- Don’t let down your guard. There’s a reason more people are getting infected. It’s because they’re not being as careful as they once were and are coming into more contact with others. Be vigilant.
- Urge state officials to require masks in public. Contact your state and local elected officials to urge them to stave a second wave of the disease by requiring masks in public.
Coronavirus health resources
Here is a list of state and national resources that can help you make sense of the dangers and threats of the highly infectious novel coronavirus:
- How to protect yourself (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- What to do if you are sick (CDC)
- Find lots of COVID-19 data about South Carolina (DHEC)
- Daily monitoring worksheet for you and your family (DHEC)
- Where you can get a COVID-19 test (DHEC)
Help keep the City Paper free.
No paywalls.
No subscription cost.
Free delivery at 800 locations.
Help support independent journalism by donating today.