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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 April 3rd, 2026

Charleston Area Information

 

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

Dashboard summarizing weekly respiratory illness indicators in South Carolina. Emergency department visits decreased by 17% compared to the prior week. COVID-19 deaths remain at zero. Vaccination coverage is 7.42%. Inpatient counts decreased by 50% for COVID-19, remained unchanged for influenza, and increased by 400% for RSV. Wastewater viral 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.

Multi-line chart comparing the percentage of emergency department visits with diagnosed COVID-19 across four South Carolina regions: Charleston, Midlands, Pee Dee, and Catawba from early 2025 to early 2026. All regions show a pronounced peak in August 2025, with the Midlands reaching the highest level near 3.8%. After this surge, levels decline across all regions, with low and stable activity through late 2025 and early 2026. Pee Dee shows intermittent moderate increases during winter.

Line chart showing the percentage of emergency room visits for COVID-19, influenza, RSV, and combined respiratory illness across South Carolina from 2023 through early 2026. Influenza drives strong seasonal winter peaks each year, reaching approximately 10–13%. COVID-19 shows smaller, periodic increases, while RSV remains consistently low with minor seasonal variation. Combined respiratory illness follows influenza-driven seasonal patterns.

 

Line chart showing the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19, influenza, RSV, and combined respiratory illness in the MUSC Charleston (Tri-County) area from early 2024 through early 2026. The largest surge occurs in early 2024, with combined hospitalizations exceeding 80 patients, followed by another major peak in early 2025 near 65–70 patients. A smaller surge occurs in early 2026. COVID-19 contributes substantial increases across multiple periods, while influenza drives winter peaks and RSV shows smaller seasonal fluctuations.

Line chart displaying the percentage of emergency department visits for COVID-19, influenza, RSV, and combined respiratory illness among pediatric patients in the MUSC Charleston Children’s hospital over time. Influenza shows strong seasonal peaks, reaching approximately 20–25% during winter. RSV peaks earlier in the season, particularly in late fall, reaching around 10%. COVID-19 remains minimal throughout, with a small isolated increase in late summer. Combined respiratory illness reflects both influenza and RSV seasonal patterns.

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 panel summarizing weekly respiratory illness metrics in South Carolina. Emergency department visits for COVID-19, influenza, or RSV decreased by 52% compared to the prior week. Average weekly COVID-19 deaths are reported as zero. Approximately 7.42% of eligible residents received the 2023–2024 updated vaccine dose. Inpatient counts show week-over-week increases of 100% for COVID-19 and RSV, and no change for influenza.

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.

Multi-line chart comparing the percentage of emergency department visits with diagnosed COVID-19 across four South Carolina regions: Charleston, Midlands, Pee Dee, and Catawba from early 2025 to early 2026. All regions show a pronounced peak in August 2025, with the Midlands reaching the highest level near 3.8%. After this surge, levels decline across all regions, with low and stable activity through late 2025 and early 2026. Pee Dee shows intermittent moderate increases during winter.

Line chart showing the percentage of emergency department visits for COVID-19, influenza, RSV, and combined respiratory illness in the MUSC Pee Dee region over time. Influenza demonstrates strong winter peaks, reaching approximately 18–22%, with a second smaller peak the following winter. RSV peaks earlier at lower levels, generally below 3%. COVID-19 remains low overall, with a moderate increase in late summer near 3%. Combined respiratory illness closely follows influenza trends.

Line chart showing the percentage of emergency room visits for COVID-19, influenza, RSV, and combined respiratory illness across South Carolina from 2023 through early 2026. Influenza drives strong seasonal winter peaks each year, reaching approximately 10–13%. COVID-19 shows smaller, periodic increases, while RSV remains consistently low with minor seasonal variation. Combined respiratory illness follows influenza-driven seasonal patterns.

Line chart showing the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19, influenza, RSV, and combined respiratory illness in the MUSC Florence area from early 2024 through early 2026. The largest surge occurs in early 2025, with combined hospitalizations peaking near 50 patients, driven primarily by influenza. Smaller seasonal peaks are observed in early 2024 and early 2026. COVID-19 and RSV contribute smaller, intermittent increases throughout the timeline.

• 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 weekly respiratory illness indicators in South Carolina. Emergency department visits show no net change from the prior week. Average weekly COVID-19 deaths remain at zero. Vaccination coverage for the updated 2023–2024 dose is 7.42%. Inpatient counts increased by 100% for influenza and RSV, with no change for COVID-19.

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.

Multi-line chart comparing the percentage of emergency department visits with diagnosed COVID-19 across four South Carolina regions: Charleston, Midlands, Pee Dee, and Catawba from early 2025 to early 2026. All regions show a pronounced peak in August 2025, with the Midlands reaching the highest level near 3.8%. After this surge, levels decline across all regions, with low and stable activity through late 2025 and early 2026. Pee Dee shows intermittent moderate increases during winter.

Line chart showing the percentage of emergency department visits attributed to COVID-19, influenza, RSV, and combined respiratory illness in the MUSC Catawba (Lancaster/Chester) region over time. Influenza shows large seasonal peaks in winter, reaching approximately 17–18% in late December and early January. RSV shows smaller peaks, generally below 5%. COVID-19 remains low throughout most periods, with a modest increase in late summer reaching approximately 3%. The combined respiratory illness trend mirrors influenza-driven winter surges.

Line chart showing the percentage of emergency room visits for COVID-19, influenza, RSV, and combined respiratory illness across South Carolina from 2023 through early 2026. Influenza drives strong seasonal winter peaks each year, reaching approximately 10–13%. COVID-19 shows smaller, periodic increases, while RSV remains consistently low with minor seasonal variation. Combined respiratory illness follows influenza-driven seasonal patterns.

Line chart showing the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19, influenza, RSV, and combined respiratory illness in the MUSC Lancaster area from early 2024 through early 2026. Combined hospitalizations show clear seasonal peaks, with the largest surge in early 2026 reaching approximately 25–26 patients. Influenza drives most winter peaks, while COVID-19 contributes moderate increases throughout the year, including a notable rise in late summer 2024. RSV remains low overall, with small intermittent 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 weekly respiratory illness metrics and wastewater surveillance. Emergency department visits decreased by 21% compared to the prior week. COVID-19 deaths remain at zero. Vaccination coverage is 7.42%. Inpatient counts increased by 300% for COVID-19 and 100% for RSV, with no change for influenza. Wastewater surveillance indicates very high SARS-CoV-2 activity in Kershaw County and very low activity 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.

Multi-line chart comparing the percentage of emergency department visits with diagnosed COVID-19 across four South Carolina regions: Charleston, Midlands, Pee Dee, and Catawba from early 2025 to early 2026. All regions show a pronounced peak in August 2025, with the Midlands reaching the highest level near 3.8%. After this surge, levels decline across all regions, with low and stable activity through late 2025 and early 2026. Pee Dee shows intermittent moderate increases during winter.

Line chart displaying the percentage of emergency department visits attributed to COVID-19, influenza, RSV, and combined respiratory illness in the MUSC Midlands region over time. Influenza shows strong seasonal peaks during winter, reaching approximately 14–16%, with a second peak the following winter. RSV peaks earlier at lower levels, generally below 3%. COVID-19 remains low overall, with a modest increase in late summer around 3–4%. The combined trend follows influenza-driven seasonal patterns.

Line chart showing the percentage of emergency room visits for COVID-19, influenza, RSV, and combined respiratory illness across South Carolina from 2023 through early 2026. Influenza drives strong seasonal winter peaks each year, reaching approximately 10–13%. COVID-19 shows smaller, periodic increases, while RSV remains consistently low with minor seasonal variation. Combined respiratory illness follows influenza-driven seasonal patterns.

Line chart showing the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19, influenza, RSV, and combined respiratory illness in the MUSC Midlands area from early 2024 through early 2026. The largest surge occurs in early 2025, with combined hospitalizations peaking near 55 patients, driven primarily by influenza. Additional seasonal increases occur in early 2024 and early 2026. COVID-19 contributes moderate fluctuations, while RSV remains relatively low with occasional small peaks.

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.