Covid death rate still appears high in Slovakia due to delays in hospital reports

Analysts also call for the validation of positive antigen tests with PCR tests.

(Source: TASR)

The pandemic situation in Slovakia is improving, the daily number of newly infected people is the lowest it's been in the past four months and the number of hospitalised patients dropped from 4,050 on March 8, when Slovakia reached its record in this sense, to 1,978 today.

SkryťTurn off ads
Article continues after video advertisement
SkryťTurn off ads
Article continues after video advertisement

But while more than 100 people were dying daily in the worst pandemic winter months, several dozens still die every day – the number usually ranges between 50 to 70 deceased.

Warnings sounded over low vaccination uptake among elderly Read more 

The Denník N daily explained that this could be caused by the correction of data, as deaths due to Covid-19 are reported by the authorities with a certain delay.

SkryťTurn off ads

Authorities do not report the death according to its date but rather when they conclude the specific case. It means that people who died in January could appear in today’s statistics. Matej Mišík, head of the analytic body operating under the Health Ministry, confirmed this for Denník N.

This also means that from September to February far more people have died of Covid-19 in Slovakia than originally reported.

Situation is good with regional differences

Other data suggest that Slovakia has passed the Easter holidays without a significant spread of the virus, analysts from initiative Data Without Pathos reported. However, they point out there are still huge regional differences.

“Žilina and Prešov Regions are where the rest of Slovakia was four to six weeks ago,” they wrote on Facebook, adding that attention should be paid here.

SkryťTurn off ads
People in Slovakia limited social contact more than those in the Czech Republic Read more 

They also added that the positivity rate of PCR tests is good news, which is by three degrees of warning lower than the current dark red tier. Analysts stress the need to validate every positive antigen test, especially since it could mean the closure of a whole classroom at school when just one child or parent tests positive.

Analyst Martin Šuster also noted that the positivity of antigen tests remains 0.4 percent. He wrote on Facebook that we have hit the bottom of antigen tests and a majority of positive antigen tests are false positives in reality.

Top stories

Slovakia marks 20 years since joining NATO.

Slovakia marks 20 years in the Alliance.


Daniel Hoťka and 1 more
Píšem or pišám?

"Do ľava," (to the left) I yelled, "Nie, do prava" (no, to the right), I gasped. "Dolšie," I screamed. "Nie, nie, horšie..." My Slovak girlfriend collapsed in laughter. Was it something I said?


Matthew J. Reynolds
Czech biochemist Jan Konvalinka.

Jan Konvalinka was expecting a pandemic before Covid-19 came along.


SkryťClose ad