Frontiers in Medicine (Nov 2023)

SARS-CoV-2 testing in the Slovak Republic from March 2020 to September 2022 – summary of the pandemic trends

  • Nikola Janostiakova,
  • Andrej Gnip,
  • Dominik Kodada,
  • Rami Saade,
  • Gabriela Blandova,
  • Emilia Mikova,
  • Elena Tibenska,
  • Elena Tibenska,
  • Vanda Repiska,
  • Gabriel Minarik

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2023.1225596
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10

Abstract

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The COVID-19 pandemic has been part of Slovakia since March 2020. Intensive laboratory testing ended in October 2022, when the number of tests dropped significantly, but the state of the pandemic continues to this day. For the management of COVID-19, it is important to find an indicator that can predict pandemic changes in the community. The average daily/weekly Ct value with a certain time delay can predict changes in the number of cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection, which can be a useful indicator for the healthcare system. The study analyzed the results of 1,420,572 RT-qPCR tests provided by one accredited laboratory during the ongoing pandemic in Slovakia from March 2020 to September 2022. The total positivity of the analyzed tests was 24.64%. The average Ct values found were the highest in the age group of 3–5 years, equal to the number 30.75; the lowest were in the age group >65 years, equal to the number 27. The average weekly Ct values ranged from 22.33 (pandemic wave week) to 30.12 (summer week). We have summarized the results of SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic testing in Slovakia with the scope defined by the rate and positivity of tests carried out at Medirex a.s. laboratories.

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