In each COVID-19 wave, we notice a marked peak in the number of infections and in the positivity ratio[1].
The highest number of infections were detected in the 5th wave with a peak of more than 50,000 infections per day on average.
DAILY NUMBER OF NEW COVID-19 INFECTIONS AND TESTS TAKEN [2]
The number of people tested has shown an upward trend since the beginning of the pandemic, with an initial peak of over 65,000 tests per day on average during the second wave. This equates to a tripling of the number of tests per day compared to the first wave. Fewer tests were being taken at that time because testing capacity was limited. Consequently, fewer infections were detected. The testing strategy was altered several times throughout the pandemic and this affected the number of tests taken. For example, between 21/10/2020 and 22/11/2020, only persons with symptoms were tested and no tests were taken for persons with high-risk contact; from 2/2/2021, children over 6 years of age were also being tested. During the fourth and fifth waves, testing was at maximum capacity and an average of 120,000 tests were taken per day.
After the fifth wave, we observe a steep decline in the number of tests taken.
[1]Source: Sciensano.
[2]The positivity ratio represents the number of positive patients relative to the total number of people tested.