The World Health Organization has declared the coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) a pandemic. COVID-19 is the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. This new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.
The virus that causes COVID-19 is infecting people and spreading easily from person-to-person. Cases have been detected in most countries worldwide and community spread is being detected in a growing number of countries.
DHEC continues to work with federal, state and local partners to respond to the emerging outbreak & is also investigating multiple cases of COVID-19 in South Carolina.
The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, tiredness, and dry cough. Some patients may have aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat or diarrhea. These symptoms are usually mild and begin gradually. Some people become infected but don’t develop any symptoms and don't feel unwell.
Most people (about 80%) recover from the disease without needing special treatment. Around 1 out of every 6 people who get COVID-19 becomes seriously ill and develops difficulty breathing. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes, are more likely to develop serious illness.
People with fever, cough and difficulty breathing should seek medical attention.
You can find a detailed map with the spread of the cases here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-in-us.html
If you think you have been exposed to COVID-19 and develop a fever and symptoms, such as cough or difficulty breathing, call your healthcare provider for medical advice.
You can read more about what the CDC recommends here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/steps-when-sick.html
DHEC's Public Health Laboratory receives samples from healthcare providers that can be testing for COVID-19. Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved some private labs in South Carolina to also conduct CDC-approved testing for COVID-19. These labs are required to report positive cases of the virus to DHEC.
You can the info about the latest case count/results here.
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