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If building a personal protection mask that could be mass produced to fight the coronavirus pandemic was a puzzle, Joshua Kim was determined to figure it out.

The 25 year-old is the Senior Designer and Program Coordinator with the Department of Surgery at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.

“That moment was an epiphany moment,” says Kim.  “It was a great moment.”

It was the moment Kim realized he could use an air filter, like those commonly found in home improvement stores, to build a respirator for a mask mimicking the N95 now in demand.

The South Carolina Lede is here to keep you up to date on important news as the Palmetto State faces the COVID-19 virus.  There is so much news out there right now it’s overwhelming. This podcast is for you to get information that matters to you, your family and your fellow South Carolinians. No hype. No fear. Just COVID-19 news and resources to get us all through this.

On this episode for March 31, 2020, we discuss legal questions surrounding the emergency powers of local governments which may conflict with South Carolina state orders, speak with local restaurant owners whose business is being affected by COVID-19, learn about efforts as the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) to develop 3D printed masks, and more.

This story was expanded on March 26 to include a look at what the data cited in the Kaiser Family Foundation report could mean for South Carolina's rural communities.

The South Carolina Lede is here to keep you up to date on important news as the Palmetto State faces the COVID-19 virus.  There is so much news out there right now it’s overwhelming. This podcast is for you to get information that matters to you, your family and your fellow South Carolinians. No hype. No fear. Just COVID-19 news and resources to get us all through this.

On this episode for March 24, 2020, we look at the latest updates concerning COVID-19 in South Carolina. According to Department of Health and Environmental Control officials, the virus has entered the acceleration phase in the state: There have been five deaths out of 298 cases reported in 34 counties (as of March 23 at 4:30 p.m.), with 103 new cases being reported between Sunday and Monday of this week.

We also discuss the $45 million emergency funding bill just signed by Gov. Henry McMaster, the impact of COVID-19 on Charleston restaurants, and more.

Vacant parking spaces stretch on, along empty sidewalks in downtown Charleston.  A lone man drags his luggage as he easily crosses typically bustling King Street.  It’s quiet; too quiet.

This is Charleston post coronavirus.

Down the street off upper King, the owner of Stella's Restaurant Steven Niketas breaks a sweat.  He’s anxious about the recent, emergency order from the governor closing restaurants and bars statewide.

Business is suffering some of the worst effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Some, like restaurants, may not be able to make it back, even if our collective quarantine were to end today.

But a few industries are doing very well. In York County, at least, residential real estate is cruising along, thanks in part to historically low interest rates and an already healthy market in the ever-growing Charlotte metro region.

You can hear it in her voice.  Cacky Rivers who routinely eases the anxiety of brides on their big day is nervous.

"My dad said recently, 'This too shall pass', and that's what's kept me going."

Her voice trails off.  There's a long pause on the other end of the phone.

The "this" Rivers is referring to is the Coronavirus pandemic that has spread across the globe leaving a trail of death and economic uncertainty behind.

“It's a very scary situation," Rivers says.

She likens it to a hurricane, but worse.

The Census. We've been doing it every 10 years since 1790 –  in part because it's in the Constitution and in part because it's really, really important to know how many of us there are and where we live.

That doesn't mean it's exactly easy to convince people to answer a bunch of personal questions. Jan Smiley, South Carolina partnership specialist with the U.S. Census Bureau, says Census takers often have to contend with citizens who are worried about what the bureau wants and what it's going to do with the information it collects.

The short answer, Smiley says, is nothing sinister.

On this edition of the South Carolina Lede, host Gavin Jackson is joined by The Associated Press' Jeffrey Collins and The State's Maayan Schechter to discuss recent news from the statehouse, including the $10 billion budget passed by the House, the Senate's education bill, and more.

Plus, South Carolina trivia, the week's news, and more!

It's not the typical thick, green coating of pollen that has people scrambling indoors this spring in Charleston.

Instead it's something much more serious; a highly contagious coronavirus with a spiky crown, prickling communities with fear and prompting the World Health Organization to declare a pandemic.

But like the pesky pollen, the new and potentially deadly virus is striking at the start of Charleston's busy tourist season.