Over 110,000 positive coronavirus tests last week; Sharp rise among children

A new record for the highest number of coronavirus infections reported in a weekly summary by Dutch health authorities was set on Tuesday. The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) received 110,558 reports of positive tests during the seven-day period ending on Tuesday morning. That is almost 44 percent more than in the previous week.

"In the past week, the largest increase can be seen in the number of reports from children aged 4 to 12 years," the RIVM said. The data showed that 9,416 children between 5 and 9 tested positive, an 85-percent increase in a week. Cases among 10-14 year olds rose by 76 percent to over 11,000, and there was a 62 percent increase among newborns and toddlers through 4 years of age.

"Out of every 100,000 inhabitants, 628 people received a positive test result." The increase was significant among the older population, though much smaller than growth among children. For example, the number of infections among people over 90 rose by 20 percent, and by 28 percent when considering just those in their eighties.The number of positive tests recorded also increased in every region, led by the Noord-Zuid Limburg region which reached 828 infections per 100,000 residents. That was followed by Zuid-Holland-Zuid with 813.

Due to the high number of positive tests, the branches of the GGD health services have struggled to conduct source and contact investigations. Only about a quarter of the new coronavirus infections were traced to a source. A week earlier, the origin of about 32 percent of the infections could be determined.

Schools and daycares were often the focus when it was possible to find the source of an infection. More than 15 percent of cases were linked to schools and daycares, compared to almost 10 percent last week and 5 percent the week before.

There was an overall per capita increase of infections in all age groups driven by a basic reproduction (R) number which has remained steady at 1.21. That means that 100 people contagious with the virus on November 1 passed it on to 121 others, who infected 146 more. They then spread the infection to another 177.

Over 554,000 people were tested for the coronavirus by the GGD during the seven-day period, a 33 percent increase. "The percentage of people with a positive test result increased from 17.2% to 19.6% in the past week, including tests to confirm a positive self-test."

The number of hospital admissions is also increasing. In the past week, 1,390 coronavirus patients ended up in a hospital. The preliminary figure from the RIVM, based on data from intensive care monitor NICE, is the highest number since early May.

A week earlier there were 1,240 patient admissions, a figure which was revised up by 9 percent since initial figures were released last Tuesday. Of the 1,390 newly admitted patients, 217 ended up in an intensive care unit, slightly more than the 211 reported the previous week.

By comparison, patient coordination office LCPS said that 1,722 people with the disease were admitted during the past seven days, a 23 percent increase over the 1,401 admitted a week earlier. About 224 people were sent directly to an intensive care unit, a 17 percent increase.

The number of reported deaths caused by Covid-19 remained the same. In the past week, the RIVM was informed that 173 people had died as a result of the infection. A week earlier, 172 deaths had been reported. There is no obligation to report the deaths to the RIVM

The RIVM presented its weekly overview for the 72nd time on Tuesday.