The public health science institute Sciensano has released the latest figures on the coronavirus pandemic in Belgium. They show further increases in the number of positive PCR test results for the virus and in the number of people with COVID-19 that are being hospitalised.
During the week from 30 January to 5 February the number of positive PCR test for coronavirus increased by 48% to 707 per day. During the same period an average of 5,500 tests were carried out each day, up 16% on the previous week. Of those tested 14.1% tested positive for coronavirus.
The basic reproductive rate (R0) for coronavirus currently stands at 1.12. This means that every 100 people with the virus infect an average of a further 112 others.
Hospitalisations and deaths
During the past week the number of people that had become so ill with COVID-19 that they needed to be admitted to hospital rose by 18% to an average of 67.3 per day. There are currently 977 people with COVID-19 in the country’s hospitals. This figure that includes all patients that have tested positive for coronavirus is up 18% on a week ago. Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 patients that are in intensive care has fallen by 14% to 43.
Between 30 January and 5 February, the average number of people with COVID-19 that died in Belgium increased to 4.9/day (+21%). Since the onset of the pandemic in Belgium almost 3 years ago 33,616 people with COVID-19 have died here.
Meanwhile the number of cases of RSV continues to fall, while the flu epidemic continues to gather pace.