How many of SC’s COVID cases in August were unvaccinated? Here’s what DHEC official says
Unvaccinated South Carolinians accounted for about 85% of all coronavirus cases last month, assistant state epidemiologist Dr. Jane Kelly told reporters Wednesday.
Of the 112,746 total COVID-19 cases reported by the Department of Health and Environmental Control in August, people who had not received the vaccine accounted for nearly 96,000 cases, Kelly said during the department’s weekly call with reporters.
Unvaccinated Palmetto State residents also accounted for 71% of hospitalizations and 75% of deaths in August, Kelly said.
“Being unvaccinated is harmful to the individuals and their families,” Kelly said.
About a quarter of the people who died due to COVID-19 last month were vaccinated. Those breakthrough cases were largely due to people with preexisting conditions that make them more prone to serious illness due to COVID-19, Kelly said.
Those figures are very similar to July, when DHEC reported that 88% of cases, 77% of hospitalizations and 79% of deaths were from unvaccinated people.
Kelly’s comments come on the heels of a tragic month, where South Carolina saw one of its largest spikes in COVID-19 cases to date. On Wednesday alone, DHEC reported 138 additional deaths due to the coronavirus.
“That’s another 138 funerals that are being planned across our state,” Kelly said.
Recently, there has been a slight decline in the number of COVID-19 cases reported daily. That doesn’t mean that South Carolinians should let their guards down, Kelly said.
“Cases can fluctuate at any given time,” she said, adding the state has seen similar fluctuations in the past.
The way to seriously slow the spread of COVID-19 is to get vaccinated and wear a mask, Kelly said, urging South Carolinians to adopt these practices. DHEC Director Edward Simmer said Wednesday at the governor’s Cabinet meeting that by Thursday he anticipates 50 percent of eligible South Carolinians will be fully vaccinated.
“The way out of this pandemic is vaccination,” Kelly said.
Editor Maayan Schechter contributed to this story.
