Thursday, May 14, 2020, 3:34 pm
This page will be updated regularly as information becomes available.
Testing
DHEC's Public Health Laboratory receives samples from healthcare providers to be tested for COVID-19. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved some private labs to also conduct this CDC-approved testing for COVID-19. These labs are required to report cases of the virus to DHEC for residents of South Carolina. Cases in South Carolina, details on testing, positive cases indicated by heat map, and a summary of case reports and projections is below. Additional data can be found on the cases by by county & ZIP code and demographic data pages.
COVID-19 Testing in South Carolina
| Negative tests from DHEC Public Health Laboratory | 20,287 |
| Negative tests from private laboratories | 74,059 |
| Total negative tests | 94,346 |
| Positive tests from DHEC Public Health Laboratory | 2,905 |
| Positive tests from private laboratories | 5,284 |
| Total positive tests | 8,189 |
| Total number of tests performed in South Carolina | 102,535 |
Positive Cases Indicated by Heat Map
The 14-day Heat Map displays the most recent reported cases during the past 14-day period and estimates where the current burden is due to recently reported cases.
The heat map indicates reported cases of COVID-19 in the state. Regardless of the number of reported cases within an area, all South Carolinians should take seriously the recommended precautions for protecting against this disease. The cumulative Heat Map shows all historic reported cases of COVID-19.
Percent Positive Trends Among Reported COVID-19 Cases
Last updated May 13, 2020
As South Carolina increases testing, there will likely be more laboratory-confirmed cases. The percent positive graphs show trends in the percent of cases of COVID-19 relative to the number of tests performed during the last 28 and 14 days, respectively. The calculation is a result of the number of positive tests reported in a day (for May 13, 172) divided by the total number of tests performed on that same day by both DHEC’s laboratory and private laboratories (for May 13, 6,208), then multiplied by 100 to get the percent positive (2.8% for May 13).
When the percent positive is high, it may indicate that there isn't enough testing being performed to capture how much disease is in the community and testing may be focused on people who are more severely ill.
When the percent positive is low, it may indicate that more widespread testing is being performed and the percent positive may more accurately reflect how much disease is present in the community.
Summary of Case Reports through March 1 and Projections through May 30
Last updated May 11, 2020
Table 1 presents numbers of COVID-19 cases observed in the ‘Sunday through Saturday’ weeks since March 1 as well as projections of COVID-19 cases through to the week of May 24 – May 30.
For each week, numbers are presented regarding the number of new cases, the cumulative number of cases, the cumulative case rate per 100,000 persons, and whether the numbers were observed (i.e. confirmed cases reported to DHEC) or have been projected.
Table 1
Observed and Projected SC COVID-19 Cases by Week: March 1 to May 30
Table 2 below provides additional perspectives on the projected case rate of 201 per 100,000 in SC on May 30, by comparing it to case rates already observed as of May 9 in those states that have suffered the greatest burden of COVID-19.
Table 2
Comparing South Carolina’s Projected COVID-19 Case Rate per 100,000 to Rates Already Observed as of May 9 by Selected Severely Impacted States
Additional Notes and Explanations
- DHEC reports laboratory-confirmed cases so that the number of positive tests reported for a particular day are considered to be the number of new cases for that day. However, laboratories are not always able to process and test the specimens they receive on the same day of reception. This can relate to the time of day when some specimens reach them, and also to shortages of reagents needed to perform the tests.
- It is also important to note that uncertainties exist not only regarding projections made for the coming month. Since not all people who are positive will be tested, that the number of officially reported cases is not the same as the actual number of cases.
- For modeling, many assumptions are made and, therefore, these are just estimates of projected cases by week.
COVID-19 projections assuming full social distancing through May 2020