Beaufort Co. has not recorded a COVID-19 surge after Thanksgiving. Why that matters
It has now been more than two weeks since Thanksgiving, and Beaufort County has not recorded a significant COVID-19 surge, which is a promising development for the Lowcountry.
At this time last year, things were much different.
On Dec. 10, 2020, the county was averaging 63 new infections per day, and coronavirus vaccines were still unavailable.
Exactly one year later, Beaufort County is averaging 12 confirmed cases per day, and about 54.7% of the county’s residents have been fully inoculated.
The Lowcountry’s coronavirus outbreak is significantly better now than it was after Thanksgiving 2020.
It’s not a surprising phenomenon. This past summer’s delta variant surge peaked in late August, and Beaufort Memorial Hospital’s chief medical officer recently said the hospital is enjoying a reprieve from COVID-19.
“We’re still at the bottom part of the last peak,” said Dr. Kurt Gambla.
But the new countywide case data, which are current as of Friday, offer some hope that this year’s holiday season will not be as devastating as last year’s, when infections surged between late November and early January.
Some crucial questions remain unanswered, though:
Will South Carolina’s case counts spike in the two weeks leading up to Christmas? For now, statewide disease spread remains at a level similar to what was reported in mid-October 2020, which is good news.
Will the omicron variant hit hard after the holidays end, following an uptick in travel and indoor events? And will the new variant cause severe, life-threatening cases?
Omicron is the biggest wild card. It’s rate of spread in South Africa and the United Kingdom indicate that it’s extremely transmissible. Yet the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday reported that the nation’s 43 omicron cases thus far have mostly been identified in fully vaccinated people who have exhibited mild symptoms.
It’s still unclear how — or if — omicron will strain the Lowcountry’s health care system, which was battered in August and September by delta.
Holiday safety
The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette have compiled a guide to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control’s sweeping set of new coronavirus safety recommendations for the 2021 holiday season: bit.ly/HolidaySafetyGuidance
Countywide data
Here are the latest Beaufort County coronavirus numbers from DHEC:
New cases reported Friday: 18 confirmed, 9 probable
New cases reported Thursday: 7 confirmed, 8 probable
New cases reported Wednesday: 14 confirmed, 3 probable
New deaths reported from Wednesday to Friday: 0 confirmed, 1 probable
Seven-day average of new cases: 12 confirmed infections per day
Two-week incidence rate: 120.8 cases per 100,000 people
Vaccination rate: 54.7% of residents have been fully vaccinated
ZIP code data since July 1
Bluffton ZIP code, 29910: 2,912 cases
Hilton Head Island ZIP code, 29926: 1,128 cases
Hilton Head Island ZIP code, 29928: 480 cases
Okatie ZIP code, 29909: 814 cases
Beaufort ZIP code, 29902: 1,454 cases
St. Helena Island ZIP code, 29920: 450 cases
Data in this story are current as of Friday afternoon.
