Overall, 4,608 people have tested positive for the coronavirus statewide since the start of the global pandemic. DHEC estimates the total number of confirmed cases could grow to 6,953 statewide by May 9.
Coronavirus-related deaths
A sign on Hospital Center Boulevard directs all patients arriving at Hilton Head Hospital to use the emergency room as seen on Monday, March 30, 2020. Drew Martin dmartin@islandpacket.com
DHEC’s data on COVID-19 deaths continues to be unclear and conflicts with data collected by the Beaufort County Coroner’s Office.
The state agency dropped the county’s death toll from 7 to 6 on Sunday. It then added three deaths Tuesday for a total of 9.
A note at the bottom of DHEC’s daily releases says the data will adjust to reflect any reclassified cases.
It also says deaths are reported by where a person lives. That is different from how coroner’s typically collect data. Coroners base their findings on where a person dies.
The Beaufort County Coroner’s Office has reported for more than a week that the county has seen 8 coronavirus-related deaths.
Chief Deputy Coroner David Ott said Tuesday the county’s list hasn’t changed.
“We are tracking confirmed COVID-19 deaths that are reported to us by the hospitals,” Ott said.
He said the Coroner’s Office data also has one home death that was confirmed and one death of a Beaufort County individual at Jasper County’s Coastal Carolina Hospital.
“Our numbers are completely separate from DHEC,” Ott said.
He also said DHEC doesn’t provide details about their case count to the coroner’s office.
The coroner’s office is required to report all coronavirus cases that happen outside of a hospital to DHEC, he said.
Here are the deaths recorded by the coroner’s office as of Tuesday:
An 81-year-old Beaufort man who died March 30.
A 72-year-old Beaufort man who died March 31.
An 86-year-old Hilton Head Island man who died April 3.
An 89-year-old Hilton Head woman who died April 4.
An 83-year-old Lady’s Island woman who died April 7.
A 75-year-old Bluffton man who died April 9.
A 71-year-old Hilton Head man who died April 12.
A 93-year-old Bluffton man who died April 13.
Eleven new deaths were reported in the state by DHEC Tuesday, including the three deaths the agency added in Beaufort County.
All of the new deaths occurred in elderly individuals, the release says.
Overall, South Carolina has seen 135 deaths.
Coronavirus recovery
Beaufort residents David Jackson, seated, a survivor of COVID-19, is pushed down the hallway on Wednesday, April 15, 2020 after being treated for the coronavirus at Beaufort Memorial Hospital as his wife, Rebecca Jackson, third from left, holds his hand. David Jackson left the hospital after a months long battle with the coronavirus. Drew Martin dmartin@islandpacket.com
As of Tuesday morning, 44.7 percent of hospital beds in Beaufort County were being utilized and 57.2 statewide for all types of hospitalizations, DHEC data shows.
DHEC estimates that 72 percent of those who’ve previously tested positive for COVID-19 in the state have recovered and that 28 percent remain ill.
Dr. Mark Bechtel, D.O., wearing full personal protective equipment explains on Friday, April 2, 2020 at Beaufort Memorial Hospital ’s Express Care on Ribaut Road, that Streptococcus or strep and flu tests are done when swabbing patients whose symptoms could be COVID-19. While the coronavirus results must be sent off-site, strep and flu results can be garnered on site within minutes. When asked about positive flu results Bechtel said, “The flu results have been low.” Drew Martin dmartin@islandpacket.com
Here is the breakdown of coronavirus cases in Beaufort County ZIP codes, both positive and possible.
The cases include anyone who has tested positive since the pandemic started. The data also includes those who have recovered or died. According to DHEC, these numbers are current as of Monday night.
74 positive and 455 undiagnosed in Beaufort (29902)
No positive and six undiagnosed west of Beaufort (29904)
33 positive and 203 undiagnosed northwest of Beaufort (29906)
19 positive and 117 undiagnosed east of Beaufort (29907)
11 positive and 68 undiagnosed in Okatie (29909)
40 positive and 246 undiagnosed in Bluffton (29910)
One positive and 6 undiagnosed on Daufuskie Island (29915)
Eight positive and 37 undiagnosed on St. Helena Island (29920)
17 positive and 104 undiagnosed on Hilton Head Island (29926)
10 positive and 61 undiagnosed on Hilton Head (29928)
Nine positive and 55 undiagnosed in Port Royal (29935)
Eight positive and 49 undiagnosed in Ridgeland (29936)
Five positive and 31 undiagnosed in Hardeeville (29927)
One positive and six undiagnosed in Seabrook (29940)
One positive and six undiagnosed in Sheldon (29941)
Four positive and 25 undiagnosed in Yemassee (29945)
Positive cases are those in which a patient has been tested and diagnosed with coronavirus. Because of a lack of access to testing, state health officials have said that for every one confirmed case, there could be up to nine people who are infected but have not been tested
Parris Island cases
Drill instructor conducts close order drill at the 3rd Battalion parade deck aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., Feb. 24, 2016. Close order drill helps to instill self-discipline in recruits as they become U.S. Marines. Lance Cpl. Richard Currier Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island
Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island in Port Royal stopped releasing information about coronavirus cases but said the information would still be reported to DHEC.
The depot’s ZIP code of 29905 has not been included in DHEC’s daily updates but agency officials previously said that 39 cases associated with that ZIP code were being reported in an “unknown” ZIP code category that has since been removed.
A spokeswoman with the department later said the 29905 ZIP code was solely for the depot’s post office and that there was no populace associated with that code.
Since there wasn’t a populace, the 29905 cases were being absorbed into the nearest zip code of 29906 per “geocoding best practices,” the spokeswoman said.
The 29906 ZIP code for an area northwest of Beaufort showed 33 cases of coronavirus Tuesday.
Teresa Moss is a crime and public safety reporter for The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette. She has worked as a journalist for 16 years for newspapers in Illinois, Missouri and Arkansas.
