Illustrative stock photo (source: SITA)
The statistics of active Covid cases in Slovakia might be distorted.
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Several analysts working with the Slovak coronavirus data have recently pointed out that the statistics on recovered patients include not only the number of positive cases identified by PCR tests but also those who have recovered after testing positive with an antigen test.
However, it is not clearly stated in the statistics that the number includes both these categories.
The authorities report the number of new positive cases separately for those identified with PCR tests and those identified with rapid antigen tests conducted at mobile testing sites set up around the country.
As a result, it is not clear now how many active cases there are in Slovakia and the statistics presented on the official korona.gov.sk website might be distorted, as several analysts have pointed out.
Until now, many, including the Worldometers.info website, have calculated the number of active cases from the total number of positive PCR cases minus the deceased minus the recovered cases.
Since the statistics include the number of recovered patients who were first revealed as positive by both PCR and antigen tests, it's possible that the final number of active cases will soon fall below zero, even though Slovakia is still at the height of the second wave of the pandemic.
(source: Worldometers.info)
Experts have long been pointing out that the mass testing using rapid antigen tests distorts the statistics and prevents them from getting the full picture of the pandemic in Slovakia.
Authorities dealing with the discrepancies
The statistics on the recovered is provided by the Public Health Authority (ÚVZ), which does not plan to change its method of reporting, Marek Eliáš of ÚVZ told The Slovak Spectator.
The respective authorities have been notified about the discrepancies and say they are working to remedy the situation.
Read more about the coronavirus in Slovakia:
Measures valid in Slovakia as of February 8 and updates on the requirement of a negative test result
Do I have the new coronavirus? How to proceed if you have a suspicion
I encountered a person who is COVID-19 positive. What do I do next? (FAQ)
When will I get my COVID vaccine? FAQs about vaccination in Slovakia
