Higher hospitalization rates amongst South Carolina residents have received massive mainstream air-time, but the state's turnaround time on testing is making matters even worse.
"DHEC’s public health lab and our partners continue to strive for the 72-hour turnaround," DHEC's Ron Aiken said. "But they also have been hit hard by this surge in cases unlike anything we’ve seen before."
Test results have taken anywhere from hours to well over 72 hours to return, preventing the potentially infected from properly distancing themselves from others. Even though cases have seen a jump, the percentage of acute hospital bed occupancy in the Upstate region alone is only .8% higher today than exactly 365 days ago, on January 7th, 2021.
While just a one region sample size, it's reason to believe the state can manage as they've seen similar rates before in every SC region.
"We now have a very different situation than we faced a year ago or longer," SC Governor Henry McMaster said while addressing the future of the state in 2022. "But there’s no need for a state of emergency in South Carolina."
