New wave of Covid-19: number of positive tests in laboratories increases

A new wave of Covid-19 is reflected in increased positivity of tests performed by laboratories. According to data gathered by the Brazilian Society of Clinical Pathology/Laboratory Medicine, the main laboratories in Brazil had an increase in the positivity rate.

The medical entity that brings together professionals involved in laboratory diagnosis warns that the increase in positivity observed in diagnostic tests may represent a new wave of the pandemic in the country.

In the week between November 13th and 19th, there was an increase in positivity that varied close to 10% in laboratories such as Einstein and Pardini, compared to the previous week, and reached more than 130% in Sabin. Dasa, a broad integrated health network, disclosed positivity for molecular diagnostic tests (RT-PCR) at 43.50% in the week of November 14th to 20th.

“The circulation of new variants of the virus in the country with the potential to evade the antibodies produced by vaccines and previous infections, associated with less use of masks and the return of events with agglomerations, has contributed to the increase in the number of cases. Due to the important variation in positivity, we noticed that people try to test when they already have a high suspicion of the disease”, comments Fabio Brazão, president of SBPC/ML.

According to Brazão, the molecular diagnostic test remains the gold standard for detecting Covid-19, “with better sensitivity when collected after the second or third day of symptoms, up to about 10 days”, he says.

The entity highlights the importance of using masks indoors with little social distancing and updating the vaccination schedule with the doses allowed in your age group and location, in addition to taking greater care with individuals at risk of developing serious illness.