the data from pharmacies that reveal how much infections increased

Just like a year ago (and also a year before), January seems to be a favorable time for Covid infections, once again on the rise, ratified the data from the National Epidemiological Bulletin of the Ministry of Health weeks ago, and now it was reinforced by the Argentine Pharmaceutical Confederation (COPA). The entity reported that in the last week, sales of coronavirus self-tests exceeded quadrupling, compared to the first days of 2024, and that at least 36% of these diagnostic tests are positive.

The feeling of having Covid can be confusing, given its similarity to other flu-like infectious processes. However, when people with the concern (and the purchasing power to buy these diagnostic strips) add up to 4.5 times more than those who purchased self-tests in the first week of January, something is undoubtedly happening.

And, in fact, while only 30 diagnostic tests were marketed on the first day of the year, this Monday a record of 633 salesreported the COFA, an entity that, although it represents some 3,000 pharmacies throughout the country, recognized that the majority of these sales corresponded to the province of Buenos Aires (306) and the City (285).

The strong data? The positivity of those more than 600 hours was 50%, a figure that pharmacies know, as part of the commitment established by the patient (type of sworn statement), who must report the result obtained at home, within 24. The meaning of this notification is that pharmacies make a contribution to strengthen the epidemiological data from the Ministry of Health.

Of course, COFA clarifies, one can buy the self-test and use it a couple of days later. The pharmacy’s “sustainability” margin is seven days. But, once the test is done, you are asked to communicate the result directly to the pharmacy, by scanning a QR code that you will provide to the pharmacist or, also, by entering here.

Currently, the Ministry collects national Covid data from those pharmacies, but mainly from Ambulatory Monitoring Units (UMA). From the portfolio now led by Mario Russo, they clarified that “they are establishments selected by the jurisdictions where samples are taken from people who present symptoms of Covid-19 or acute respiratory infection, and they are studied in the laboratory for SARS-CoV-2, Influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), in order to establish trends and positivity.”

Those words, “trends” and “positivity” are important. Since most people do not get tested and go through the disease without much complication.The data collected is only a sample, with an obvious margin of under-recording.

Even so, the second National Epidemiological Bulletin (BEN) of the year reported significant figures this Sunday. In the second week of January, the report said, there had been 2,583 cases and three deaths from Covid.

To have a more current photo, the incipient data from the COFA come in handy. It is true that after this Monday’s peak, self-test orders in pharmacies were reduced (on Tuesday) to just over half (361). However, if weekly averages are calculated (to smooth out daily ups and downs), the upward trend is clear.

In line with the increase in infections reported by the Ministry, while in the first week of January the daily average of test strips sold was 96, in the last seven days it rose to 438, an increase of 356%.

As COFA clarifies, the average of positives was almost 36%; the negative ones, 55.51%. But there are almost 9% of tests that are invalid or poorly performed, and it is not known which way they would have tipped the balance.

The cases are rising and, from now on, the same recommendations as always apply regarding hygiene: ventilate closed spaces and, fundamentally, wash your hands several times a day, especially after returning from the street. Of course, you should always cover your mouth (ideally with the inside of your elbow) when coughing or sneezing.

Regarding the acquisition of self-tests, no organization discourages using them, but they have their cost. The social and prepaid works do not cover them and, today, when in these entities (or even in the public sector) it is decided to test a patient with symptoms for Covid, It depends exclusively on the decision of the doctor on duty.

In pharmacies, COFA reported, The tests cost 3,700 to 5,000 pesos. According to Ricardo Pesenti, president of that entity, although the sales data comes from all over the country, “due to a cultural issue of caring for one another, and also, economically, of being able to pay for a test like this, it is logical to understand that most of the purchases were made in the metropolitan area.”

“The interesting thing is that “The rise we see is very abrupt,” Pesenti noted, adding: “It is no small thing that people continue to choose to take a test. Because, when you know, you quickly cut the chain of transmission.”

Vacations can be an optimal window to schedule a round of vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 on the agenda, a health strategy that should be reinforced from time to time, no matter how many doses one has received. The central thing, emphasizes the Ministry of Health, is to maintain high immunity against the virus, an indication that includes a specific guide of deadlines, by age.

The “risk” groups (50 years or older, pregnant people going through any trimester of pregnancy and people 6 months or older with immunocompromise) should receive a booster dose every six months.

Another group is made up of exposed personnel (health or “strategic function,” says the Ministry) and those under 50 years of age with comorbidities that do not specifically affect the immune system. For example, chronic diseases (diabetes, hypertension…), or obesity. “The recommendation is that, if you have already received a booster in the last 6 months, remember the importance of receiving an annual booster,” expresses the ministerial website.

The rest of those under 50 years of age have a reinforcement, once per year.

Each jurisdiction has an online list of vaccination centers available to administer these vaccines. In the province of Buenos Aires, you can check here.

In the City of Buenos Aires, although specific vaccinations for Covid are attended to spontaneously, the population is kept away make an appointment before going.

For those concerned about this data, neither the self-tests nor the pharmacist on duty will be able to report anything about the coronavirus variant contracted, a genomic monitoring that the Ministry of Health does only through the UMA, with statistical fines.

According to the latest ministerial bulletin, almost 70% of the Covid cases registered in 2023 corresponded to the XBB variant (with its subvariants 1.5 and 1.16).

It was followed, with 15.4% prevalence, by EG.5. And although it is famous worldwide, JN.1 is now having less presence, with 0.6% of cases.

However, a piece of information added to the latest bulletin and which appears as “updated as of January 17” is the discovery of two confirmed cases of a “daughter” variant of Omicron, but it is especially important (at least to the WHO) because of the evolutionary leap it made, with around thirty mutations in its famous “spicule protein.”

It is called BA.2.86 and is also known as the “pirola variant”. What good is all this data? For two things: to be aware of whether any Covid variant can generate particularly severe infectious symptoms, or if viral creativity manages at some point to escape the much-prized immunity generated by vaccines.