COVID-19 is spiking in Beaufort Co. Here’s a look at new case trends, Delta variant
Editor’s note: Given the recent spike in COVID-19 cases, The Island Packet is resuming regular coronavirus data updates. These stories will be published on Mondays and Thursdays online.
Beaufort County residents are experiencing a collective déjà vu.
On Thursday, 74 coronavirus cases were confirmed in the county. Another 25 probable infections were recorded.
On Sunday, 68 infections were confirmed. Twenty-four probable cases were reported.
The seven-day average of new cases on Thursday spiked to 45 infections per day, a level last seen in mid-February, when vaccines were scarce and tensions were high among residents clamoring for a shot.
The county’s incidence rate has skyrocketed in recent days. And the average positivity rate has surged to 16.5%.
The area’s COVID-19 trends are starting to mirror last winter’s. And last summer’s.
The questions remain: How will the region’s hospitals fare as the Delta variant spreads? And will deaths mount like they did earlier in the pandemic?
One bright spot: Roughly 86.4% of the county’s seniors have been at least partially inoculated. And the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are still effective against Delta, scientists say.
The county’s high vaccination rate for seniors could prevent another wave of local fatalities. Since the pandemic began, more than 75% of Beaufort County’s COVID-19 deaths have been recorded among people 71 or older.
But, much like the rest of South Carolina, the county’s overall inoculation rate still remains low. (Only about 43% of the county’s entire population has been fully vaccinated, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates and state data.)
Health care systems around the United States are now reporting that younger adults are being hospitalized for COVID-19 as Delta, which is highly transmissible, infects unvaccinated people.
What will happen in the weeks to come?
Here’s a look at the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control’s latest COVID-19 data for Beaufort County:
New cases reported Thursday: 74 confirmed, 25 probable
New cases reported Wednesday: 48 confirmed, 28 probable
New cases reported Tuesday: 35 confirmed, five probable
Deaths reported Thursday, Wednesday and Tuesday: “Less than 5”
Seven-day case average: 45 confirmed infections per day
Two-week incidence rate: 310.7 cases per 100,000 people
Data in this story are current as of Thursday afternoon.
