Skip to main content
  • arrow_forward Home

MUSC COVID-19 Epidemiology Intelligence Project

MUSC global health epidemiologists and scientists present graphs to model the effects of COVID-19 in the regions MUSC serves. 

COVID-19 Status Summary by Location

Choose a region in South Carolina to view the status summary. Updated March 13th 2026

Charleston Area Information

 

Chart describes what to do if an alert is low, medium, or high for COVID-19.

Dashboard summarizing respiratory disease indicators for the MUSC Tri-County region. Emergency department visits with COVID-19, flu, or RSV diagnoses decreased 4% from the previous week. Average weekly COVID-19 deaths in South Carolina remain 0. Updated COVID-19 vaccine coverage among eligible residents is 7.42%. Inpatient counts increased for COVID-19 (+66%), showed no change for influenza, and decreased 100% for RSV. Wastewater SARS-CoV-2 activity is reported as very low.

Line chart showing statewide COVID-19 wastewater viral activity levels in South Carolina from 2022 to early 2026. Repeated peaks occur during winter and late summer periods, with lower activity between surges.

Line chart showing the percentage of emergency department visits diagnosed with COVID-19 across four South Carolina regions (Charleston, Midlands, Pee Dee, and Catawba). COVID-19 activity fluctuates at low levels most of the year, with a notable regional surge in late August–September reaching approximately 3–4% of visits before declining again.

Line chart showing the percentage of emergency room visits in South Carolina associated with COVID-19, influenza, and RSV from 2023 through early 2026. Influenza drives the largest seasonal increases, peaking each winter between about 10–13% of visits. COVID-19 shows smaller periodic waves, and RSV remains low with occasional minor increases.

 

Line chart displaying hospitalizations for COVID-19, influenza, and RSV in the MUSC Charleston region from 2024 to early 2026. Winter respiratory seasons produce large hospitalization surges, with combined totals exceeding 80 patients at peak. Influenza and COVID-19 contribute the largest waves, while RSV causes smaller seasonal increases.

Line chart showing the percentage of ER visits at MUSC Charleston Children’s Hospital associated with influenza, COVID-19, and RSV. Influenza drives the largest pediatric surges, peaking around 20–25% during winter months. RSV contributes moderate increases in early winter, while COVID-19 remains minimal with occasional small spikes.

Line chart showing the percentage of emergency department visits with diagnosed COVID-19 at MUSC Charleston Children’s Hospital over time, including a brief late-summer spike.

A graph shows the number of COVID-19 cases (per 100K) in the Charleston area between 2020 - 2023. The largest spike was January 2022.

Information details the prevalence of Long-COVID in SC among adults 18-years and older. 31% reported having COVID. 8% of all SC adults currently report experiencing post-COVID symptoms. 1.1% of all SC adults report currently experiencing long-term symptoms that reduce their ability to carry out day-to-day activities.

Florence Area Information

Respiratory Illness Data Tracker in text, representing COVID, Flu, and RSV

A graph shows Florence Area is relatively low for respiratory illnesses at the current time.

A graph showing the recommendations for public health for COVID-19, with threats are LOW, MEDIUM, and HIGH. When low, get tested and stay up-to-date. When medium, get tested, stay up-to-date, and talk to your healthcare provider if you are high risk. When threat of COVID is high, get tested, stay up-to-date, wear a mask indoors, and consider talking to your healthcare provider if you are high risk.

Dashboard summarizing respiratory disease indicators in the MUSC Florence region. Emergency department visits with COVID-19, flu, or RSV diagnoses decreased 27% from the previous week. Average weekly COVID-19 deaths in South Carolina remain 0. Updated COVID-19 vaccine coverage among eligible residents is 7.42%. Inpatient counts decreased for COVID-19 (-20%) and influenza (-100%), with no change in RSV.

Line chart showing SARS-CoV-2 wastewater viral activity levels in South Carolina from 2022 to 2026, with recurring seasonal peaks and troughs over time.

Line chart showing the percentage of emergency department visits diagnosed with COVID-19 across four South Carolina regions (Charleston, Midlands, Pee Dee, and Catawba). COVID-19 activity fluctuates at low levels most of the year, with a notable regional surge in late August–September reaching approximately 3–4% of visits before declining again.

Line chart showing the percentage of ER visits in the MUSC Pee Dee region related to influenza, COVID-19, and RSV. Influenza produces the largest winter peaks, reaching roughly 20% of visits early in the year. RSV remains low but present in winter, while COVID-19 shows smaller sporadic increases throughout the year.

Line chart showing the percentage of emergency room visits in South Carolina associated with COVID-19, influenza, and RSV from 2023 through early 2026. Influenza drives the largest seasonal increases, peaking each winter between about 10–13% of visits. COVID-19 shows smaller periodic waves, and RSV remains low with occasional minor increases.

Line chart showing the number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19, influenza, or RSV in the MUSC Florence region from 2024 through early 2026. Hospitalizations show large winter surges driven mainly by influenza, with peaks exceeding 30–50 patients during winter waves. COVID-19 contributes moderate increases throughout the period, while RSV remains relatively low.

• A graph shows the number of COVID-19 cases (per 100K) in the Florence area between 2020 - 2023. The largest spike was February 2022.

Information details the prevalence of Long-COVID in SC among adults 18-years and older. 31% reported having COVID. 8% of all SC adults currently report experiencing post-COVID symptoms. 1.1% of all SC adults report currently experiencing long-term symptoms that reduce their ability to carry out day-to-day activities.

Lancaster Area Information

Respiratory Illness Data Tracker in text, representing COVID, Flu, and RSV

Cases of respiratory illnesses in the Lancaster area are low.

A graph showing the recommendations for public health for COVID-19, with threats are LOW, MEDIUM, and HIGH. When low, get tested and stay up-to-date. When medium, get tested, stay up-to-date, and talk to your healthcare provider if you are high risk. When threat of COVID is high, get tested, stay up-to-date, wear a mask indoors, and consider talking to your healthcare provider if you are high risk.

Dashboard summarizing respiratory disease indicators in the MUSC Lancaster region. Emergency department visits with COVID-19, flu, or RSV diagnoses decreased 45% from the previous week. Average weekly COVID-19 deaths in South Carolina remain 0. Updated COVID-19 vaccine coverage among eligible residents is 7.42%. Inpatient counts show no change for COVID-19 or influenza and a 33% decrease in RSV.

Line chart showing SARS-CoV-2 wastewater viral activity levels in South Carolina from 2022 to 2026, with recurring seasonal peaks and troughs over time.

Line chart showing the percentage of emergency department visits diagnosed with COVID-19 across four South Carolina regions (Charleston, Midlands, Pee Dee, and Catawba). COVID-19 activity fluctuates at low levels most of the year, with a notable regional surge in late August–September reaching approximately 3–4% of visits before declining again.

Line chart showing the percentage of ER visits at MUSC Catawba associated with influenza, COVID-19, and RSV from November through February. Influenza drives the largest winter peaks, reaching about 15–16% of visits in early January. RSV remains low (generally under 2%), and COVID-19 shows smaller intermittent increases, peaking around 3% in late summer. Combined respiratory illness visits peak during winter influenza surges.

Line chart showing the percentage of emergency room visits in South Carolina associated with COVID-19, influenza, and RSV from 2023 through early 2026. Influenza drives the largest seasonal increases, peaking each winter between about 10–13% of visits. COVID-19 shows smaller periodic waves, and RSV remains low with occasional minor increases.

Line chart displaying hospitalizations for COVID-19, influenza, and RSV in the MUSC Lancaster region from 2024 to early 2026. Winter influenza waves drive the largest hospitalization spikes, reaching more than 20 patients in early 2026. COVID-19 shows recurring moderate waves, while RSV contributes smaller seasonal increases.

A graph shows the number of COVID-19 cases (per 100K) in the Lancaster area between 2020 - 2023. The largest spike was January 2022.

Information details the prevalence of Long-COVID in SC among adults 18-years and older. 31% reported having COVID. 8% of all SC adults currently report experiencing post-COVID symptoms. 1.1% of all SC adults report currently experiencing long-term symptoms that reduce their ability to carry out day-to-day activities.

Midlands Area Information

Respiratory Illness Data Tracker in text, representing COVID, Flu, and RSV.

Cases of respiratory illnesses are currently low in the Midlands area.

A graph showing the recommendations for public health for COVID-19, with threats are LOW, MEDIUM, and HIGH. When low, get tested and stay up-to-date. When medium, get tested, stay up-to-date, and talk to your healthcare provider if you are high risk. When threat of COVID is high, get tested, stay up-to-date, wear a mask indoors, and consider talking to your healthcare provider if you are high risk.

Dashboard summarizing respiratory disease indicators in the MUSC Midlands region. Emergency department visits with COVID-19, flu, or RSV diagnoses increased 13% from the previous week. Average weekly COVID-19 deaths in South Carolina remain 0. Updated COVID-19 vaccine coverage among eligible residents is 7.42%. Inpatient counts show no change in COVID-19 cases, a 50% decrease in influenza cases, and a 100% increase in RSV cases. Wastewater SARS-CoV-2 activity is low in Kershaw County and very low in Richland County.

Line chart showing SARS-CoV-2 wastewater viral activity levels in South Carolina from 2022 to 2026, with recurring seasonal peaks and troughs over time.

Line chart showing the percentage of emergency department visits diagnosed with COVID-19 across four South Carolina regions (Charleston, Midlands, Pee Dee, and Catawba). COVID-19 activity fluctuates at low levels most of the year, with a notable regional surge in late August–September reaching approximately 3–4% of visits before declining again.

Line chart of ER visit percentages in the MUSC Midlands region attributed to influenza, COVID-19, and RSV. Influenza dominates winter respiratory illness patterns with peaks near 15–17% in January. RSV remains low (generally under 2%), while COVID-19 shows smaller increases peaking around 3–4% during late summer.

Line chart showing the percentage of emergency room visits in South Carolina associated with COVID-19, influenza, and RSV from 2023 through early 2026. Influenza drives the largest seasonal increases, peaking each winter between about 10–13% of visits. COVID-19 shows smaller periodic waves, and RSV remains low with occasional minor increases.

Line chart showing hospitalizations for COVID-19, influenza, and RSV in the MUSC Midlands region from 2024 through early 2026. Winter respiratory seasons produce large spikes in hospitalizations, with peaks exceeding 50 patients during early 2025. Influenza contributes the largest winter surges, while COVID-19 shows moderate recurring waves and RSV remains comparatively low.

A graph shows the number of COVID-19 cases (per 100K) in the midlands area between 2020 - 2023. The largest spike was January 2022.

Information details the prevalence of Long-COVID in SC among adults 18-years and older. 31% reported having COVID. 8% of all SC adults currently report experiencing post-COVID symptoms. 1.1% of all SC adults report currently experiencing long-term symptoms that reduce their ability to carry out day-to-day activities.

About the Project

MUSC's COVID-19 Epidemiology Intelligence Project analysis has been developed to:

  1. Provide analysis of trends in the COVID-19 epidemic to assist with understanding the current and projected status of transmission, impacts to the community and hospital system, and the success of mitigation efforts. Our goal is also to provide information that can help assess each stage of the pandemic and provide vital health information to our community.
  2. Help us better understand and predict the critical needs of our hospitals, health care teams, in the Charleston, Berkeley, Dorchester, Florence, Marion, Darlington, Williamsburg, Chester, Lancaster, Kershaw, Richland, and Fairfield communities so that we can plan for and mitigate the impact of COVID-19 to the best of our ability.
  3. Provide reliable data to help guide and support decision making by policymakers, business leaders, and members of the general public across the aforementioned regions.

Data used in trend analysis comes from SCDHEC, MUSC clinical data, and The Center for Disease Control. Data used in the models comes from the Census Bureau, literature reviews, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and internal clinical data.

How Often Are the Graphs Updated?

The goal of the project is to update analysis once per week.

Project Team

  • Michael D. Sweat, Ph.D., professor, MUSC Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; director, Division of Global and Community Health; and faculty director, MUSC Center for Global Health – Project Director
  • Veronique Whittaker, MPH, Lead research analyst, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of Global and Community Health
  • Eric Meissner, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases
  • Kathleen Ellis, executive director, MUSC Center for Global Health

With special thanks to:

  • Claire Bailey, MPH, RD, former program coordinator, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of Global and Community Health
  • Virginia “Ginny” Fonner, Ph.D., MPH, former assistant professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of Global and Community Health

And our medical student volunteers from early 2020:

  • William “Alex” Parler, MUSC College of Medicine student
  • Gregory "Brian" Elmore, MUSC College of Medicine student

Methods & Metrics

  • Weekly Percent Change of MUSC Emergency Department Visits with a COVID-19, Flu, or RSV Diagnosis -This is the change in the weekly percentage of people in Emergency Departments due to Influenza-like-illness across MUSC's regional hospitals. These percentages are drawn directly from internal MUSC data.  
  • Average Weekly Deaths due to COVID-19 -This is the average number of weekly deaths due to COVID-19 per 100k people in South Carolina. These data are drawn from: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#trends_weeklydeaths_totaldeathratecrude_45
  • Percentage of Emergency Room Visits for COVID-19, Flu, and RSV in South Carolina -These data are presented by the CDC and are updated weekly. Data available at: https://data.cdc.gov/Public-Health-Surveillance/2023-Respiratory-Virus-Response-NSSP-Emergency-Dep/vutn-jzwm
  • MUSC Inpatient COVID-19, Influenza, RSV Patients -These data come directly from MUSC and are reported daily counts. We update these data weekly. If the cases are below 5, we will report this as an N/A.
  • South Carolina COVID-19 Wastewater Viral Activity Levels -These are current wastewater viral activity levels of SARS-COV-2 across wastewater treatment plants or sampling locations in the state of South Carolina. These levels are drawn from CDC and are updated weekly. Data available at: https://www.cdc.gov/nwss/rv/COVID19-statetrend.html?stateval=South%20Carolina
  • Household Pulse Survey -These data are drawn from The U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey, as part of an ongoing partnership between the Census Bureau and The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) and includes questions to assess the prevalence of post-COVID-19 conditions (long COVID), on the experimental Household Pulse Survey. These data are weighted, and the details can be found at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/covid19/pulse/long-covid.htm

Covid-19 Impact Criterion for Level Status

These community risk levels are informed by The Center for Disease Control's calculation of COVID-19 risk and public health recommendations. The thresholds are for the Charleston Metro Area (Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester). Further information can be found on the CDC website (Center for Disease Control and Prevention Website).

We report the growth rate of COVID-19 in weekly Internal MUSC Emergency Department visits and hospital admissions per 100k people. Risk Levels are defined as follows: Low, Medium, and High. We will include the wastewater data if it becomes available across all sites again.

LOW: The weekly ED visits are under 5% for two consecutive weeks.
MEDIUM: The weekly ED visits are above 5%. 
HIGH: The weekly ED visits are above 10%.    
Metrics shown reflect the day events occurred, not the day they were reported. DHEC releases data on a weekly basis.