A guide through the daily Covid-19 stats.
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Over the past week, an average of 352 infections were detected daily. That is another 8 percent drop, a slower decline than in recent weeks. The percentage of positive tests has fallen to exactly 1 percent, comfortably well below the limit of maximum 5 percent marked by the World Health Organization. It’s been last summer since such a low percentage of positive tests.
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The low positivity ratio suggests that the virus is circulating less vigorously in society. The same picture appears for the pressure on healthcare. Over the past week, an average of 15 people were hospitalized with Covid-19 every day, a decrease of 48 percent.
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According to the latest figures, 273 people are still hospitalized with Covid-19, a decline of 35 percent on a weekly basis and the lowest level since August. The number of patients in intensive care falls to 126 (-28%).
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The death rate is also on the way back. On average, there are still four deaths every day. Monday was there for the first time in a year not a single corona death in Flanders. 25,200 people have died in our country from the consequences of the corona virus.
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Syringe towards freedom
By the summer, the Belgian government wants to have at least 70 percent of the population – the threshold for herd immunity – vaccinated. At the moment we have more than 7 million Belgians a first vaccine shot got, accounting for 76 percent of adults.
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The effect of the vaccination campaign is visible in the statistics. From mid-February a clear decrease can be seen in the number of deaths among the elderly.
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Test, test, test
The vaccination campaign is the highway to freedom. Meanwhile, a broad testing strategy should help contain the virus. In the past week, an average of about 43.700 tests per day (+14%).
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Where and with whom does the virus circulate?
The provinces of Antwerp, East Flanders and the Brussels Region have the most new infections. And in recent weeks we have seen a sharp increase in the number of infections among under-18s, who are now tested much more often. The infections in people over 80 are decreasing, which may have to do with the vaccinations in that group.
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Pressure on care is decreasing
25,000 victims
During the past seven days, an average of four people died from the disease every day. That brings the death toll since the start of the pandemic at 25,200. Overall, we find that Covid-19 is more deadly for old people. More than half of those who died since March last year are 85 or older.
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Not all deaths end up in the corona statistics. To know the real impact of the coronavirus in Belgium and to be able to compare it with that in other countries, the excess mortality is a more correct indicator. That is the number of extra deaths compared to the average of previous years.
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During the first week of April 2020, at the height of the first wave, more than twice as many people died as in previous years. The heaviest toll is on the over-85s, the age group where more people have died since the spring than in other years. In the group up to 24 years of age, fewer people died almost consistently in 2020 than expected, partly because there are fewer traffic accidents.
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