Coronavirus updates for Oct. 5: Here’s what to know in South Carolina this week

We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in South Carolina. Check back each week for updates.

Nearly 4,000 COVID cases in SC last week

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Tuesday, Oct. 4, reported 3,991 COVID-19 cases and six coronavirus-related deaths for the week ending Oct. 1. The counts include probable and confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths.

At least 1.7 million coronavirus cases have been reported in South Carolina, and more than 18,300 people have died of the virus since March 2020, according to state health officials.

Data shows COVID-19 cases are down nearly 14% compared with this time last week, with hospitalizations falling about 15%. As of Oct. 1, an average of 269 people in the state were hospitalized with the coronavirus, including 38 patients being treated in intensive care and 13 patients on ventilators, the latest data shows.

The omicron subvariant BA.5 accounted for 78% of coronavirus strains identified in South Carolina for the week of Sept. 17, followed by strains BA.4.6 (18.8%) and BA.4 (2.6%), according to the latest data. The DHEC’s Public Health Laboratory conducts sequencing on randomly chosen samples as part of nationwide efforts to find out about new strains of the virus, the agency’s website reads.

Fifty-three percent of South Carolinians eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and about 61% have received at least one dose, state health data shows.

A third of adults want new COVID booster, others hesitant: poll

About 7.6 million U.S. residents have rolled up their sleeves for the updated COVID-19 booster, but others are still uncertain if they will get the jab, according to a recent poll.

A Sept. 30 report published by the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that about 67%, or two-thirds, of U.S. adults are reluctant to get the new vaccine doses, McClatchy News reported. In contrast, roughly 32%, or one-third of adults, said they’ve already received the booster or plan to “as soon as possible,” according to the survey.

The updated doses, designed to target two prevalent strains of the omicron variant, were authorized for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Aug. 31.

Of the 67% adults who said they were hesitant on getting the booster, 18% said they will “wait and see” before getting the shot, the poll showed. Twelve percent of respondents said they wouldn’t get the updated booster at all.

For the survey, Kaiser polled 1,534 adults between Sept. 15 and 26, McClatchy News reported. The margin of error was plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Read more about the survey here.

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