COVID-19 positivity rate up in Rio state

NUR-SULTAN. KAZINFORM - The report COVID-19 Panorama, released by the Rio de Janeiro State Department of Health, shows a surge in the positivity rate from antigen and RT-PCR tests used to detect the disease. The document, however, adds the increase is not seen reflected on hospitalizations and deaths. The tests found the RNA of the Sars-Cov-2 virus in samples of respiratory secretion, Adencia Brasil reports.

Since last week, a continuous growth in these early indicators have been reported, which, however, do not point to a scenario similar to those preceding the waves of the pandemic in the state.

In a Monday (Jun 6) note, the authorities said the positivity rate from RT-PCR tests—run mostly in hospitalized patients—stands at 21.4 percent based on the 7-day moving average for May 22 through 28. Using the same calculation, between May 15 and 21, the rate was 15 percent. The positivity rate for antigen tests, on the other hand, went from 18.4 percent—when calculating the 7-day moving average for May 15 through 21—to 22 percent between May 22 and 28. The data include tests carried out at both public and private care facilities in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

The state’s health secretary, Alexandre Chieppe, explained the state is going through a period when respiratory diseases tend to escalate. «That’s what we term a seasonal movement. We believe this rate—approximately 20 percent—is expected for COVID-19 in colder months. We are not seeing a significant rise in hospitalizations, and this is due to the high vaccination coverage in the state. So people must head back to health centers to get the booster dose.»