Deadly flu season tightens its grip on South Carolina

COLUMBIA, S.C. – As flu season continues, data from the Department of Public Health shows thousands of South Carolinians have been getting sick.

And it’s claimed dozens of lives in the Palmetto State, including one Midlands child.

The good news is that no South Carolina counties in the CSRA are seeing a number of cases above the state baseline.

South Carolina is at the highest possible level of flu activity on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s data tracker, and neighboring Georgia isn’t far behind.

According to South Carolina DPH’s Flu Watch report released in mid-January, the state is reporting sweeping effects due to the flu with over 20,000 lab-confirmed tests reported and 2,098 flu-associated hospitalizations for the 2024-25 season.

HEALTH HELP

Symptoms: Is it a cold, the flu or COVID?

1. COVID symptoms may include fever or chills, cough, body aches, headaches, tiredness, shortness of breath and loss of taste or smell.
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention experts say a sore throat, sneezing, itchy or watery eyes, and a running or stuffy nose are less common with COVID-19.
3. Someone with the flu may experience all these ailments, but the loss of taste or smell is more frequent with COVID-19.
4. When it comes to colds, fever or chills are not common, but you may have a cough, body aches, tiredness, be sneezing or have a runny or stuffy nose.
5. In winter months, even allergies can act up, but generally that will not cause fever or chills, body aches or a loss of taste or smell.

This is a sharp increase in comparison with the previous report released in early January, where only 14,000 tests and 1,492 hospitalizations were reported.

As of the most recent report, there have been 30 flu-associated deaths statewide this flu season.

Data from the Statewide Immunization Online Network dosage report also shows immunizations for the flu have dropped this season.

Around 952,000 people, or 18.3% of the Palmetto State’s population, were administered a dose of the flu vaccine during the 2024-25 season, according to SIMON. In the 2023-24 season, SIMON showed around 1.18 million South Carolinians, or 22.7% of the state, got a flu shot.

Breaking the data down based on age, immunization rates for children between six months and 18 years old have remained steady between the two seasons.

While flu season should be coming to a close soon, it’s still not too late to get a vaccine.

The Department of Public Health recommends everyone over the age of six months get a flu shot every year, due to the strains of flu changing from year to year.

Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.