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; Vanda Repiska; Gabriel Minarik

doi:10.3389/fmed.2023.1225596

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

Front Med (Lausanne). 2023 Nov 6:10:1225596. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1225596. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Nikola Janostiakova¹, Andrej Gnip², Dominik Kodada¹, Rami Saade¹, Gabriela Blandova¹, Emilia Mikova², Elena Tibenska^{2

3}, Vanda Repiska¹, Gabriel Minarik⁴

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Medical Biology, Genetics and Clinical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia.
² Medirex, a.s., Pezinok, Slovakia.
³ 5th Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia.
⁴ Medirex Group Academy n.p.o., Nitra, Slovakia.

Abstract

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.

Keywords: COVID-19; Ct value; RT-qPCR; Slovakia; age groups; pandemic; statistics.

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the OPII program as the project – Research on COVID-19 progressive diagnostic methods and biomarkers useful in early detection of individuals at increased risk of severe disease, ITMS: 313011ATA2, co-financed by the ERDF.