The current situation
Thank you for being patient with us, whether you were tested for COVID-19 or just wanted to be kept up to date. This practice works hard to keep everyone in our community well-informed.
First, some housekeeping:
1) We work very hard to keep ALL politics out of these updates. When you go through this, please do not feel the need to be offended by information in here. This information is purely scientific and health-focused only. There is a significant amount of politics and brainwashing going on outside; we want no part of that.
2) If you want to be removed from the email updates, please just call the office. Heather’s number is (843) 491-3007. She will be happy to help you.
3) If you need your COVID-19 test results, please call Heather Pitts in the Lab. Their direct number is (843) 957-6740.
4) If you need a Travel Clearance Form, please call Heather Pitts, at the Lab number.
5) If you need a followup, telemedicine visit for COVID-19 because of questions, please call the office number.
6) We are still seeing patients in-house, if you need us.
So, the real numbers.
In Horry county, a little over 2% of the population has either been or is currently infected with the disease as estimated by the DHEC. On average, there are 100 new cases daily with all the testing we are doing.
For people who have symptoms of COVID-19 and are being tested, we are seeing about 18% positive results. That means if someone is sick with COVID-19 symptoms, there is a chance that only 1 in 5 of these people actually have the disease. Right now, it appears to be 0.3% of the population or 3 in 1000 people have the disease.
Unfortunately, there have been 186 deaths in our county as of September 2nd, 2020 as a result of COVID-19. This does not mean that they died from the disease, only that they had COVID-19 at some point during their illness and the patient had passed on. In most of these cases, these were much older adults with pre-existing medical conditions, roughly around the average age of 74-years-old. In a much rarer case, there was a 25-year-old with multiple medical conditions who unfortunately died due to complications with COVID-19.
How our state is doing
Compared to other states, South Carolina has one of the highest cumulative rates in the country. Again, our numbers are skewed by the incoming visitors being tested, but this is an important distinction from our local residents. Many of our current residents have already had the disease and are now clear of the infection. Most of these people will form some type of immunity against COVID-19.
Right now, our goal is to keep as many people from dying as possible, until we get a vaccine available to the population.
Remember, washing your hands, not touching your face, and staying healthy are the most important things you can do. The virus cannot get through your skin without an open wound. Keep it clean babies
Masks and social distancing
Masks: The feeling is that if everyone wears a mask, whether or not they are immune or sick, we could help slow the disease. However, this does not help those who are immune to the disease. The idea is that facial masks may help reduce the level of exposure you breathe in from other infected people or breathe out to others if you yourself might be infected. The feeling is that your chances of being infected will go down if you have a lower “Viral Load Exposure”.
Social distancing: The feeling is that the more distance you are away from someone the less you will be exposed to concentrations of the virus. With a lower “Viral Load Exposure”, there is a belief that your chances of getting infected will decrease.
Please be safe, take care of each other, and I will see, hopefully, everybody on the other side of this, safe and sound.
