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The transmissibility index (Rt) of covid-19 has been increasing since mid-February, being higher in the Algarve region, where it stands at 1.19, reveals the first monitoring report of the ‘red lines’ published this Saturday.
The General Directorate of Health (DGS) and the Doutor Ricardo Jorge National Institute of Health (INSA) make available today the first monitoring report of the covid-19 ‘red lines’, which will be published weekly on Fridays.
“On the continent, the region where the highest Rt value was observed was the Algarve (1.19), while the lowest value was observed in the Central region (0.88). Both at the national level and at the national level. of the regions The health sector of the continent has seen a gradual increase in the value of Rt since mid-February, being more noticeable in the Algarve region ”, states the document.
The DGS and INSA indicate that the Rt at the national level is 0.97 and that the number of new cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection per 100,000 inhabitants has been decreasing in the country, except in the Algarve.
The report also indicates that in the period between March 18 and March 31, the accumulated incidence in 14 days was 65.9 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, with a stable trend.
During this period, the age group that presented the highest incidence corresponded to the group between 20 and 29 years old (93 cases per 100,000 inhabitants), the document points out.
In turn, the group over 80 years of age had a cumulative incidence at 14 days of 51 cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection per 100,000 inhabitants, which reflects a lower risk than that of the general population, it indicates.
DGS and INSA estimate that 70.6% of the cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the continent are associated with the variant of the United Kingdom, being in the regions of Lisbon and Vale do Tejo (76%) and Algarve ( 95%) where they appeared in larger numbers.
Until March 28, 2021, 50 cases of the variant associated with South Africa were diagnosed and most were identified in the Lisbon and Vale do Tejo regions (54%) and in the North (36%), with “the possibility of transmission community, although of very low expression ”, since, after the epidemiological investigation, it was not possible to establish the context of transmission of some cases.
In relation to the variant associated with Brazil, until March 22, 22 cases were diagnosed, half of them in residents of the Lisbon and Vale do Tejo region, in which case there is no “evidence (evidence) of sustained community transmission in Portugal “.
According to the document, the highest number of covid-19 cases admitted to the ICU corresponded to the age group of 70 to 79 years.
The proportion of positive tests for SARS-CoV-2, between March 25 and March 31, was 2%, “which is below the 4% threshold, and the total number of tests performed in the last seven days was of 152,695 “.
DGS and INSA also point out that “the proportion of confirmed cases notified late maintains a downward trend.”
In the past seven days, all cases were isolated within 24 hours after notification and 91.5% of their contacts were traced and isolated.
“The global analysis of the different indicators suggests a controlled epidemiological situation, that is, moderate community transmission and low pressure on health services in the coming weeks. However, attention should be paid to increasing transmissibility in one of the regions of the continent ”, they point out. DGS and INSA stand out, concluding that “the current Easter period and the onset of deflation are factors that can interfere in this situation, with reflections that will take a few weeks to become visible.”
Both entities affirm that monitoring the indicators disclosed in the report “is essential to follow the evolution” of the epidemic in Portugal and to provide “the health authorities and the public with information that allows the implementation of measures that contribute to its control” . “.
Since March 2020, 823,142 people have been infected with the new coronavirus and 16,875 have died from covid-19, according to the latest DGS data.
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