Even if the sun is shining in many places, “unfortunately the pandemic is still not over”. The positive rate in PCR tests is increasing – and indicates a high rate of infection.
Berlin – The proportion of positive PCR tests for Corona reached a record high last week.
The so-called positive rate rose from 45.6 to 51.9 percent within a week and thus to the highest value since the beginning of the pandemic, reported the Association of Accredited Laboratories in Medicine (ALM) with a view to the past week. The record is related, among other things, to the “high level of infection,” said an ALM spokesman. With a high positive rate, a high number of unreported cases can also be assumed.
Increasing incidence of infection
“The current figures from the data collection indicate that the incidence of infection is increasing again,” said the first chairman of the professional association, Michael Müller. “The first rays of sunshine of the approaching spring should not hide the fact that the pandemic is unfortunately still not over.”
At the same time, the total number of corona PCR tests in Germany has continued to fall. It was 1,757,140 last week, 7 percent lower than the previous week’s 1,885,360. Previously it was 2,048,786. The utilization of the laboratories in relation to Sars-CoV-2-PCR tests is currently low at an average of 63 percent and continues to show a slightly decreasing level.
Free PCR tests are currently only available after a positive rapid antigen test from a test center. This rule was introduced because of the high workload in the test labs. In view of the currently sufficient PCR test capacities, it makes sense to lift this rule for many groups of people, writes the association. dpa
