Health Board forecast: 2,000 more infected in a week, but only a hundred patients admitted to hospital
According to the latest forecast by the Health Board, the low figure of just under 2,000 people are expected to be infected this week, with hospital admissions expected to fall to a hundred.
According to Hanna Sepp, head of the Health Board’s Communicable Diseases Department, about 2,700 new infections were reported last week, with the number of registered cases having fallen by 21% when compared to figures for the week before last. ‘The “R” infection rate is rising to over 0.8. This week we can expect a little under 300 infections to be reported each day,’ Sepp explained, adding that in terms of the risk matrix, which is based on the number of hospitalisations, we are at the medium risk level.
According to Sepp, incidents of infection over the past fourteen days have shown a downward trend in all counties. ‘The biggest drop in the percentage of positive test results has been observed amongst adults. The number of people in the 60+ age group who have been infected fell by 11%,’ said Sepp. Infection rates decreased most amongst children.
The coronavirus concentration in wastewater remains at a moderate level. Levels were above the average in Kärdla, Pärnu, Tartu, and Rapla, and in the Laagri area, while Peetri and Antsla were green areas.
Nearly 140 people were hospitalised last week, with the number of hospitalisation cases increasing. Patients over sixty years of age account for 64% of all hospitalisations, with an average age of 72.
From May, the Health Board will publish the COVID-19 statistics on a weekly basis only. ‘From next month, the current PCR testing procedure will also be changed, with priority for PCR testing remaining in place for high-risk groups,’ explained Sepp. As the importance of PCR testing has decreased over time, the HOIA mobile app, which used to alert users of their having come into close contact with a virus carrier, will also be deactivated from May.
The epidemiological overview of the COVID-19 week can be found here (PDF).
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FAQ: What should you know about monkeypox?
Although monkeypox continues to spread globally and in Europe, there have been no new cases reported in Estonia since 2022. However, the risk of introducing the disease still exists.
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