January was deadliest month of COVID-19 pandemic in Horry County, data show
While many would like to think the pandemic has ended, or at least improved, the numbers prove otherwise: Horry County just recorded its deadliest month of COVID-19.
In Horry County, 78 people died of COVID-19 in January, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control. The previous record was set in July, when 73 lives were lost to the coronavirus amid a summer spike as tourism season brought visitors to the Grand Strand.
Horry County’s numbers follow a trend seen across South Carolina. The state’s deadliest week of the coronavirus took place the last week in January, according to DHEC. The positivity rate of all tests also reached 34.2% earlier this month, the highest percentage of positive tests since testing began in March.
Horry County winter coronavirus spike worse than summer
Horry County is still reeling from a spike that began after Thanksgiving and has persisted as the holiday season faded and vaccinations began. After the area’s numbers slightly improved last fall, more than 100 new cases per day has become the norm in Horry County.
South Carolina is in its first phase of vaccinating the public, starting with healthcare workers and people aged 70 and over. But the rollout has been criticized as slow and disorganized as people struggle to make appointments, hospitals defy advice from DHEC and some vaccination events aren’t publicized.
In January, more than 5,500 cases were added in Horry County, including 862 in the past week. Georgetown County has reached a total of 3,866 cases and 85 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.
Across South Carolina, more than 360,000 vaccine doses have been administered, according to DHEC.
Outbreaks at nursing homes and care facilities contributed
Of the 78 coronavirus deaths reported in Horry County in the past month, outbreaks at a Myrtle Beach nursing home and retirement community under the same management have led to eight of those deaths. Throughout the first nine months of the pandemic, Myrtle Beach Manor only recorded two deaths from the coronavirus, but added eight to that count in the last 30 days, according to DHEC data.
In the last 30 days, the Myrtle Beach Manor nursing home recorded two deaths while the company’s retirement community added six deaths, DHEC data shows.
A spokesman for the community said safety protocols are being taken and residents and staff members are tested weekly. The spokesman said they’ll continue to work with the local health experts and follow the guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adding that nearly 100% of the residents will be vaccinated through clinics in the coming weeks.
Nursing homes have long been a hotbed for coronavirus spread, and officials have warned that the illness can be more severe in senior patients. On the Grand Strand, more than 400 of Horry County’s cases have been in residents or staff of long-term care facilities. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 71 residents of long-term care facilities have died of the coronavirus in Horry County, DHEC reports.
Correction: A previous version of this story included the wrong amount of coronavirus cases and deaths in Horry County’s long-term care facilities. The error has been corrected.
This story was originally published February 1, 2021 at 6:58 AM.
