Covid-19 'R number' fell slightly last week in Latvia

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Last week, the number of newly discovered cases of Covid-19 in Latvia decreased by 1.7%. At the same time on average, 157 people were admitted to hospitals per day, which is an increase on a week earlier, when an average of 147 patients were hospitalized per day. 

The number of patients with severe disease has increased slightly, also by 1.7%, according to updated figures from the Center for Disease Prevention and Control (SPKC) released February 21.

The reproductive coefficient or 'R number', a measure of the virus' tendency to spread, reduced from 1.08 to 1. An R number of less than one indicates the spread of the disease is slowing, while an R number of more than 1 indicates that it continues to spread more widely. An R number of 1 indicates that every new case of Covid will result in one additional infection, on average.

An average of 21,627 tests were performed per day last week, while an average of 9,617 new cases were detected per day. 

Of all the tests performed, 12% (18,717 tests) were related to screening in educational institutions, and 88% (132,670 tests) were related to the rest of the population. Of the positive cases of Covid-19, 7% (4915 infected) were related to educational screening and 93% (62 407 infected) to the general public.  

There has been a reduction in infections over the past week in the 0-49 age group, but an increase in the 50+ age group. The increase in Covid-19 cases last week was more pronounced in Kurzeme and Riga than elsewhere in the country. 

In the last week, Covid-19 infection was as common in people who had received the primary vaccination as in those who had not been vaccinated, but 2.1 times less common in those who had also received  a booster vaccination (comparing of the rate of infection per 100,000 population). 

The average morbidity rate in the European Union and the European Economic Area decreased to 2962.3 during the week (3509.1 a week earlier). The 14-day cumulative rate of Covid-19 morbidity per 100 thousand inhabitants in Latvia is currently at almost doule that rate at 6795.3 (6005.4 a week ago). In Estonia, the indicator has decreased and reached 6469.5 last week (6705.6 a week earlier). Lithuania's indicator rose to 8212.2 (6143.5 a week ago).

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