Luxembourg's Ministry of Health, the National Health Laboratory (Laboratoire National de Santé - LNS) and the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) have published a review of the week of 20 to 26 March 2023 in relation to respiratory infections, namely COVID-19 and influenza (flu).

COVID-19

For the week in question, the number of people testing positive for COVID-19 decreased to 1,549 cases, down 12.3% from 1,767 cases the previous week. 58.2% of COVID-19 cases were reinfections (up from 56.2% the previous week).

There were six new COVID-19-related deaths during the aforementioned week.

In hospitals, there were nineteen new admissions of confirmed COVID-19 patients to normal care (compared to seventeen one week earlier). There was one patient in intensive care. The average age of hospitalised patients was 65 years.

Vaccinations

For the week of 20 to 26 March 2023, 72 COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered: seven people received a first dose, three received a second dose, ten received a first additional dose compared to a complete vaccination schedule, 42 received a second additional dose and ten received a third additional dose. No one received a fourth additional dose. The total number of vaccines administered as of Tuesday 28 March 2023 was thus 1,293,260.

A total of 474,993 people have a complete vaccination schedule, which corresponds to a vaccination rate of 79% of the eligible population (i.e. those aged five and over).

Variants

Data relating to the sequencing of COVID-19 variants are published in the REVILUX report on the LNS website: https://lns.lu/publications/.

Currently, the recombinant XBB.1.5 variant is still predominant, representing 50% during week 11 of 2023 (also 50% during week 10). The recombinant XBB.1.9, the second most dominant variant, accounted for 24.6% during week 11 (up from 20% during week 10).

Flu

For the week of 20 to 26 March 2023, the number of flu cases reported by laboratories decreased from 550 to 467, i.e. a decrease of 15.1% compared to the previous week. Currently, Influenza B is predominant.

The LNS microbiology department, in collaboration with the Health Directorate and a network of sentinel general practitioners and paediatricians spread across the country, carries out sentinel surveillance every year. Data relating to this is published in the REVILUX report on the LNS website (see above).

Simplified weekly retrospective report

Following the recent approval of the law amending the amended law of 17 July 2020 on measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and the decisions of the (Cabinet) concerning the surveillance of the COVID-19 epidemic, the weekly retrospective report will give, starting next week, a simplified overview on the evolution of acute respiratory infections. As a reminder, from 1 April 2023, it will no longer be obligatory to self-isolate in the event of a positive COVID-19 test and the obligation to wear a mask, where still applicable, will be dropped in Luxembourg.

The authorities will no longer update the graphs and the daily status report on the website https://covid19.public.lu/fr.html and will no longer publish the LIST report on wastewater monitoring in Luxembourg in the context of SARS-CoV-2.