One SC Fund activated to help provide relief for COVID-19 pandemic

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - Officials have activated the One SC Fund in an effort to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The fund, which was created back in 2015 as a response for the Thousand-Year Flood, is used to help citizens and organizations recover from state-declared emergencies. Previously, the fund has also been activated following Hurricane Matthew and Hurricane Florence.

Now, the One SC Fund, which is housed at the Central Carolina Community Foundation, will provide a collaborative response in the state for COVID-19. That includes food, shelter, health, and nonprofit sustainability.

The response will be led by a coalition of funders and partners from around South Carolina including South Carolina Grantmakers, TogetherSC, and the United Way Association of S.C.

“Through experience, we know that building coalitions is essential when responding to community need,” states JoAnn Turnquist, president and CEO of Central Carolina Community Foundation. “This coalition will help maximize our resources and local knowledge, and use our collective strengths to respond effectively to the COVID-19 pandemic in our state.”

If you would like to donate to the One SC Fund, you may do so in one of the following ways:

Online: Visit www.OneSCFund.org to make a donation with your credit card.

Mail: Send a check made payable to Central Carolina Community Foundation-One SC to: Central Carolina Community Foundation, 2142 Boyce Street, Suite 402, Columbia, SC 29201.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the coronavirus is spread mainly from person-to-person by those in close contact, or through coughing and sneezing by someone who’s infected.

Symptoms of coronavirus can show up between two and 14 days of exposure, health officials say. Symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. But some severe cases can lead to death.

Those who are at the highest risk of catching COVID-19 are the young, the elderly and those who are already being treated for chronic medical diseases.

Young people who contract the virus are not likely to have a serious case, research shows.

Doctors say there is not currently a treatment or vaccine for COVID-19, but over-the-counter medications, like cold and cough medicines, can help treat symptoms of the virus.

The mortality rate for people with the virus has been widely reported around 2 to 3%, but health experts note the actual percentage is not that high, as not all cases are diagnosed or reported.

The rate is higher than the flu, which kills on average about 0.1% of people who get it, based on a 10-year average of data from the CDC.

Anyone with concerns about their health, or who believes they are showing symptoms such as fever, cough, or shortness of breath, should call their health care provider.

People with general questions about coronavirus should call the DHEC Care Line at 855-472-3432. The line is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day. Callers are urged to be patient as call volumes are high.

People without a doctor can take advantage of free online screening from Prisma Health and the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC).

MUSC has an online platform to aid with coronavirus diagnosis and care. Go to musc.care and access the COVID-19 platform. The service is free with code: COVID19.

Prisma Health also has a free virtual visit, which allows patients to video conference with a doctor instead of coming into a facility. The goal is to keep patients who don’t need to be treated at a hospital at home. Go to prismahealth.org/virtual-visit and use promo code COVID19 for a free virtual visit.

For more information on COVID-19, click or tap here to visit the CDC’s website.