Comparing COVID-19 statistics is difficult

Worldwide

-DW Information

Berlin, Jan 27: The Austrian capital is finishing up extra PCR exams than the entire of Germany put collectively. Only a few days in the past, Mario Dujakovic, a spokesman for Vienna Metropolis Council Well being Councillor Peter Hacker, tweeted that Vienna had processed about 2.3 million PCR exams within the second calendar week of this 12 months.

These statistics are at the moment going viral in Germany and have left a bitter style within the mouths of some right here, given present COVID-19 restrictions. Germany’s federal well being company, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), as an illustration, performed about 2 million PCR exams nationwide throughout the identical interval — lagging barely behind Vienna.

The information additionally comes as take a look at capacities are operating low in Germany and the federal government has determined that fewer individuals ought to be allowed to get examined utilizing the extra dependable PCR process. However how, precisely, is Austria testing so many individuals? And the way are different nations coping with testing issues?

Austria is doing it at dwelling

Ease of entry to PCR exams could possibly be one rationalization for Vienna’s success. Austrians may readily buy saliva fast exams in drug shops for use at dwelling. The kits can then be dropped at supermarkets, colleges and even fuel stations for processing, making the entire endeavor far much less staff-intensive on all fronts.

Lab prices are doubtless significantly decrease in Austria, too. That’s because of the means that specimens are processed. In Vienna, exams are pooled by Lifebrain, a number one European laboratory operator. Meaning the contents of 10 kits are examined as a single batch robotically. If the batch is optimistic, the exams are then analyzed individually. That saves money and time as Lifebrain solely costs just a few euros to course of a single PCR take a look at.

Germany rations testing

In Germany, then again, colleges and daycare facilities are the one locations the place PCR exams are pooled — i.e., initially analyzed as a single batch. But, regardless of that labor-saving strategy, laboratories are nonetheless steadily stretched past capability, which means deadlines can’t be met. There are additionally circumstances of samples going misplaced.

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Now, with PCR take a look at capacities so severely restricted, entry to the them is being restricted additional nonetheless. On Monday, the German authorities declared weak individuals, in addition to well being employees and caregivers, ought to be given precedence. Everybody else must make do with fast lateral circulate exams — despite the fact that they usually solely return a optimistic outcome when an individual is already extremely infectious.

In German nationwide information on Monday night, Bavarian State Premier Markus Söder (CSU) stated that this new strategy will imply that the federal government can have “no thought how excessive the incidence fee actually is” from right here on out. To this point, Germany has solely recorded infections verified by way of PCR take a look at.

Observers complain that anybody who needs to know whether or not or not they’ve COVID-19 will now must pay for their very own PCR exams. It will put individuals on low incomes — who’ve been proven to be at better danger of contracting the virus — at an obstacle. Germany’s states on Monday referred to as on the federal authorities “to extend PCR take a look at capacities as rapidly as doable.”

However specialists say increasing capability could possibly be tough. Germany lacks each the related tools — and must compete with different nations on the worldwide market to buy it — and the specifically skilled employees important to PCR take a look at evaluation, in accordance with virologist Ulrike Protzer in an interview with the German every day newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung.

Denmark — a take a look at chief

In tiny Denmark, a rustic of solely 5.8 million, the variety of COVID-19 exams being carried out can also be excessive compared to Germany. You will get a lateral circulate take a look at in considered one of over 400 take a look at facilities with out an appointment. If you need a PCR take a look at, you may register by way of a nationwide web site. Even when demand is excessive, laboratories are anticipated to return at the very least 80% of PCR take a look at outcomes by the next day. Lateral circulate exams, in addition to PCR exams, price nothing in Denmark in accordance with officers. In contrast: In Germany, PCR exams vary in worth — relying on the supplier — from about €50-€70 ($56-$79) if you don’t belong to a excessive precedence group.

Denmark has been a testing trailblazer for the reason that begin of the pandemic, finishing up some 117 million exams — half of them PCR and half lateral circulate exams — in accordance with Danish well being authorities.

Israel makes do with fast exams

Israel, too, has modified its take a look at technique and shifted in direction of fast antigen exams. Like Germany now, Israel had beforehand sharply restricted entry to PCR exams as a result of its well being system was overstretched. Now, PCR exams are solely obtainable to the aged and folks with preexisting well being situations.

Because of this, there was a run on lateral circulate exams, which rapidly bought out in drug shops regardless of costing about seven euros every — barely costlier than in Germany. Nevertheless, Israel now plans to distribute as much as 30 million free COVID-19 fast exams, particularly to these on low incomes. It’s being left as much as people to tell the authorities of a optimistic outcome.

Advanced recreation of numbers

The various take a look at methods adopted by totally different nations display simply how tough it’s to check COVID-19 statistics internationally. Check procedures not solely differ in accuracy, however ease of entry PCR exams varies from nation to nation, too. Furthermore, these nations that depend on residents to voluntarily inform them of optimistic outcomes could possibly be skewing the accuracy of the info as nicely.

This text was initially written in German

Supply: DW