Luxembourg's Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth, together with the National Health Laboratory (Laboratoire National de Santé - LNS) and the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), have published a COVID-19 report for the week of 11 to 17 July 2022.

During the week in question, the number of Luxembourg residents testing positive for COVID-19 decreased from 5,616 to 4,830 cases (down 14%).

The number of PCR tests carried out fell from 14,294 to 13,168 over one week.

67 people reported a positive rapid antigen test for the reference week, compared to 54 the week before, bringing the number of positive results following such tests carried out by a healthcare professional to a total of 3,329. Note that positive rapid antigen tests are not taken into account in the calculation of the positivity rate.

As of Sunday 17 July 2022, the number of active infections decreased to 10,780 from 11,665 the previous week and the number of people having recovered from the illness rose to 265,463 (from 259,754). The average age of people diagnosed with COVID-19 was 41.9 years old.

Six new deaths related to COVID-19 were reported during the week of 11 to 17 July. The average age of the deceased was 81 years old.

In hospitals, there were 28 new admissions of confirmed COVID-19 patients to normal care (also 28 one week earlier). The number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care increased from zero to one. The average age of hospitalised patients stood at 58 years.

Positivity rate & incidence rate

For the reference period, the effective reproduction rate (RT eff) decreased to 0.83 (0.99 the previous week), and the positivity rate on all tests carried out fell from 39.29% to 36.68%.

Similarly, the incidence rate decreased to 748 cases per 100,000 residents over seven days, compared to 870 cases per 100,000 residents for the previous week.

Reinfections as well as certified self-tests were included in the calculation of incidence rates, which decreased across all age groups (0-14: down 23%; 15-29: down 15%; 30-44: down 13%; 45-59: down 17%; 60-74: down 6%) except among those aged 75+ (up 16%). The lowest incidence rate was recorded among people aged 0-14 (751 cases per 100,000 residents), while the highest incidence rate was recorded among 30-44 year olds (1,318 cases per 100,000 residents).

Transmission

With the number of cases remaining high, the authorities have found it difficult to contact all the infected individuals during the week in question and therefore to determine the probable source of contamination, as well as the proportion of positive cases from residents who have travelled during the fourteen days prior to the date of the result for cases in the past week.

Vaccinations: update

For the week of 11 to 17 July, 6,515 vaccine doses were administered: 58 people received a first dose, 103 received a second dose, 634 received a first additional dose compared to a complete vaccination schedule, 5,711 received a complementary second dose and nine received a third complementary dose, bringing the total number of vaccines administered as of Sunday 17 July 2022 to 1,287,759.

474,194 people have a complete vaccination schedule, which corresponds to a vaccination rate of 78.9% of the eligible population (i.e. those aged five and over).

Note that a fourth vaccine dose against COVID-19 can now be administered to people aged 60 and over, as well as to vulnerable at-risk people on the written recommendation of their doctor, at the Victor Hugo vaccination centre in Luxembourg-Limpertsberg which is exceptionally open until 13 August 2022. People wishing to be vaccinated are also asked to make use of the vaccination facilities offered by GPs, pharmacies and the "Impf-Bus" vaccination bus. Further information: www.impfen.lu

Wastewater monitoring 

According to the latest CORONASTEP report published by LIST, the level of contamination of the thirteen wastewater treatment plants analysed during weeks 27 and 28 of 2022 showed a still very high prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater. Both at the national and regional level, the trend is similar to that of previous weeks, with however a stabilisation of SARS-CoV-2 flows observed at a high level, which confirms that the virus is still circulating strongly in the population.