MUSC officials say Tri-County is in ‘code red situation’ with COVID

CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) – Officials at the University of Medicine of South Carolina say Tri County is in a “code red situation” with COVID as medical officials say the impact of the virus in the Charleston area went from “significant” to “severe” in the latest update of COVID-19 tracking data from health networks.

“It’s worse than I thought. We are in a code red situation, ”said Dr. Michael Sweat, team leader of the COVID-19 Epidemiology Intelligence Project. “I’m afraid people don’t realize what’s going on. My current impression is that most of them are not really listening to the sudden change that we have had. It happened so fast – within a week or so, it took off like a rocket. “

According to MUSC, cases in the Tri-county area, which includes Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties, reached 2,951 for the week ending Aug. 3. Health officials said the previous week it was 1,230, a 140% increase.

“Dorchester County has the highest rate in the state right now, growing rapidly. It also drives up our numbers in Tri County. I think there are geographic patterns that continue. Maybe Dorchester is a little different with vaccination, but I think it’s like you see it everywhere – it gets into a county, and then people start to interact, and it spreads through the networks in those counties. Said Sweat.

According to Sweat, the increase is likely due mainly to the Delta virus. Sweat estimated that 28% of South Carolinians have been infected with the coronavirus, which continues to mutate. About half of the state’s residents have received at least one injection and about 44% are fully immunized, according to MUSC.

But even people who are fully vaccinated may need to be careful, Sweat said.

“We’re getting signals that a good number of breakthroughs are happening,” he said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says no vaccine is 100% effective, but COVID vaccines are a key way to bring the pandemic under control, keep people out of hospital and save lives, said of MUSC officials.

Sweat said there is no doubt that COVID vaccines are very effective in preventing hospitalizations and deaths.

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