16% of COVID-19 tests were positive in Beaufort Co. last week. What that means
The percentage of viral COVID-19 tests that were positive in Beaufort County last week dropped to a level last seen in late June.
Between Aug. 9 and Aug. 15, state officials say 16% of molecular tests in the county turned up positive. Molecular tests, or viral tests, identify active infections.
From mid-July to early August, the percentage of tests that were positive week to week in Beaufort County ranged from 19.2% to 23.5%.
The recent drop coincided with a decline in the number of tests administered in the county.
The percentage of positive tests each day is an indicator of the coronavirus’ spread and is closely tracked by the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.
For context, just over 8% of molecular COVID-19 tests sent to public health labs nationally have turned up positive since March, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The lower positive rate in Beaufort County last week mirrored a noticeable decline in newly confirmed coronavirus cases.
The county’s seven-day average of new cases was 36 as of Sunday. That’s the lowest average since late June.
The number of viral tests conducted in the county from Aug. 9 to Aug. 15, though, dipped to 1,732. The week before that, almost 2,700 molecular tests were administered. From July 26 to Aug. 1, roughly 3,400 viral tests were performed.
Dr. Joan Duwve, DHEC’s director of public health, in a statement last Friday acknowledged that fewer people were getting tested for COVID-19 in South Carolina.
“We continue to have ambitious monthly testing goals and we encourage South Carolinians to help us meet those goals by taking advantage of the testing opportunities available, even if you have been tested previously,” Duwve wrote.
Dr. Brannon Traxler, a DHEC physician consultant, said during a conference call with reporters Friday that the agency was “cautiously optimistic” about the course of the outbreak, with daily case counts trending downward in the state.
But high positive rates suggest “there’s still a lot of disease being spread around,” Traxler said.
“We want the percent positive lower than what it currently is. It was 15% (statewide) today. We need to be getting more people tested regularly,” the doctor said.
Even though the percent positive fell in Beaufort County last week, 16% is still high if considering the World Health Organization’s recommendation that governments only consider reopening after the percent positive is below 5% for at least two weeks.
On Saturday, 11% of COVID-19 test results in South Carolina were positive, according to DHEC data that exclude antibody tests.
