NICD Center for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis, Professor Cheryl Cohen, explains that this is a good indicator that there is an increase in the number of cases of COVID-19 in circulation.
Test for COVID-19. Photo: Pixabay.
CAPE TOWN – Health experts say that despite an overall increase in the number of coronavirus infections, there is no noticeable increase in the number of hospital admissions.
The National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NICD) explained that for all people tested for COVID-19, the percentage of positive results increased over several weeks.
The head of NICD’s Center for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis, Professor Cheryl Cohen, said the rise in the number of COVID-19 cases was a good sign.
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The latest available data showed that just over 17,100 PCR tests for COVID-19 were carried out in the country last week.
Of them – 2151 gave a positive result.
However, Cohen explained that other indicators used to track coronavirus cases were harder to interpret because far fewer people were being tested.
“A lot of people who get sick just don’t get tested, and that’s very different from what we’re used to seeing…”
Cohen said the increase affects all provinces.
“So if you look at the actual numbers, the highest numbers are in the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, but that’s really because those are the biggest provinces with the most people and the more urbanized provinces with the best access to health care. what we’re seeing right now is an overall increase.”
She added that despite the increase in the circulation of the coronavirus, most infections were not severe.
