As Washington, D.C., New York, Florida, Puerto Rico and a growing list of other areas see COVID cases rise “like a space ship taking off,” in the words of the Medical University of South Carolina’s Michael Sweat, Ph.D., the likelihood that South Carolina will echo that troubling trajectory seems increasingly likely.

“I'm really feeling like this is going to be one of the most challenging periods, because people are exhausted,” Sweat said. “A lot of people who did all the right things are going to get infected. It's really disheartening and it's going to be a little scary. And I think it's going to have a lot of short term economic impacts, like businesses getting frozen up and supply chains being affected.”

Sweat, a public health expert who leads MUSC’s COVID-19 Epidemiology Intelligence Project, serves as a professor in MUSC’s College of Medicine and an adjunct professor with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He’s also a former research scientist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Right now, he’s using the knowledge, gained over a career of monitoring and guiding public health, to inform his scientific calculations as he looks at where the Omicron variant will drive the pandemic next in his state.

“I've been running all these numbers, but it's very tricky. There's a lot of uncertainty. How high will infection levels go? They're just shooting right up. And how long would those high levels last? Also, how sick will Omicron make the people who do get it?”

The Diversity in Addiction Research Training (DART) Program is now accepting applications for the 2022 Summer Program.

This a 10-week, full-time research training opportunity open to undergraduate, graduate, and medical students. DART scholars are matched with a research faculty mentor who will guide them on a research project. Students will present at the Annual DART Summer Research Day and will be awarded a stipend. The program can be completed remotely, hybrid (combination of remote and in-person) or in-person in Charleston, SC.  

For more information, please visit our website or click here to apply.

The purpose of this research is to test out a new way of treating generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) with low intensity focused ultrasound pulsation (LIFUP). If the subject agrees to participate in the research study, the participation will last approximately 10.5 hours over seven (7) days. The visits are as follows: 1- consent and MRI, 2- and 3- focused ultrasound will be delivered outside of the MRI environment, 4- MRI plus focused ultrasound, 5- assessments 1 week post focused ultrasound, and 6- one month follow-up assessments. Research studies are voluntary and include only people who agree to take part.

• Phone: 843-876-7227
• Email: covid-scheduling@musc.edu

LAB & TESTING OPTIONS

The following resource provides MUSC Health lab and testing options pertaining to COVID-19. Included on this page is information regarding drive-thru and “pop-up” mobile COVID testing locations, antibody or serology tests, drive-in lab and nurse visits, and original/classic lab testing.

MUSC Health Lab & Testing Options

MANDATORY SELF-MONITORING

Due to the activity of COVID-19 within the hospital and community, all employees, residents, fellows and students within all MUSC entities are directed to begin daily self-monitoring for COVID-19 symptoms. This applies regardless of whether you have been working remotely on a full-time or intermittent basis. You need to continue daily self-monitoring, even if symptoms are not present.

• Self-Monitoring App
• Self-Monitoring Log