The good news for South Carolina regarding COVID is the occurrence is low. The bad news is the rate of infection is rising at a level the Centers for Disease Control calls substantial.

Most states recorded a moderate or even stable increase while Kentucky, Virginia. Georgia, Illinois and Connecticut along with South Carolina recorded substantial increases.

The CDC says as of July 23, COVID-19 infections were growing or likely growing in 36 states and territories, declining or likely declining in one state — Hawaii — and were stable or uncertain in five states and territories.

The reason, medical professionals say, COVID is increasing is it’s summer, which means people are staying inside and gathering and traveling more. At play in South Carolina is the fact the virus spreads best in heat and humidity.

Cases have risen each summer since the pandemic began in 2020, the CDC said.

Plus new variants keep forming.

Peter Chin-Hong, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, told Scientific America a variant or subvariant comes about every six months or so.

The new strains are causing the same symptoms — cough, fever, fatigue — as the old, but they are more contagious, the CDC says.

What to do?

If you’re sick, stay home and away from everyone until symptoms go away and you have no fever for 24 hours without taking medication.

For the next five days, the CDC recommends wearing a mask and staying away from crowds.

Wash your hands frequently.

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Top ten class of 2026 guard Jayla “Jordyn” Jackson has included South Carolina in her top 16.

Jackson made the announcement on social media Friday evening. Her top 16 is comprised of South Carolina, Cal, Maryland, Washington, Louisville, Notre Dame, Arizona, Ole Miss, Florida State, TCU, Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Oregon, North Carolina, and Miami. 

6-1 Jackson is ranked tenth in her class by HoopGurlz. She plays for Sidwell Friends in Washington, D.C. The program has recently become a powerhouse prep program, churning out top recruits like Kiki Rice and Kendall Dudley. To date, South Carolina has not been able to reel in any of those prospects.

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Jackson averaged 20.8 points and 11.9 rebounds as a sophomore. Jackson is a big athletic guard, big enough that USA Basketball lists her as a forward. She won a gold medal with the U16 national team and was a finalist for the U17 team in 2024. 

Jackson received a South Carolina offer in April of 2023. It seems like Jackson is taking the recruiting process slowly, although she is friends with fellow DMV-area guard and current Gamecock Maddy McDaniel. 

One person was killed Saturday night when a pickup truck ran off a road and crashed, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.

The single-vehicle collision happened at about 8:40 p.m. in Orangeburg County, said Master Trooper Mitchell Ridgeway.

A 2008 Toyota pickup was driving north on S.C. 453, according to Ridgeway. Near Eutaw Road, the pickup ran off the left side of S.C. 453 and hit a ditch, causing it to flip over, Ridgeway said.

The driver died at the scene, according to Ridgeway.

No other injuries were reported.

There was no word if the driver was wearing a seat belt.

Information about what caused the pickup to veer off the road was not available, but the wreck continues to be investigated by the Highway Patrol.

Through July 21, at least 502 people had died on South Carolina roads in 2024, according to the state Department of Public Safety. Last year, 1,030 people died in crashes in South Carolina, DPS reported.

At least 22 people have died in Orangeburg County crashes in 2024, according to DPS data. There were 36 deaths reported in the county in 2023, DPS said.