STA, 10 July - A preliminary follow-up report on the April nationwide antibody study, which originally estimated 2-4% or one in thirty Slovenians had probably been exposed to the novel coronavirus, has downgraded the estimate to 0-2.8%.
The report was presented on Friday by Mario Poljak, a researcher at the Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, which led the study.
Poljak explained that the first estimate, presented on 6 May, had presumed a too high reliability of antibody tests and that the revised figures, based on new discoveries, are likely to be further fine-tuned in future follow-up reports, the final one being expected in November.
The researcher stressed that the antibody part of the study, executed with serological tests, had been far less relevant than the segment establishing only two positive Sars-CoV-2 cases in a representative sample of 1,368.
While explaining that the reliability estimate for the swab tests remained unchanged, Poljak argued this had been the figure that allowed the authorities to start easing restrictions.
Also important will be the follow-up findings based on reports being collected from all the participants of the study every three weeks to monitor their health condition and that of their remaining household members.
Slovenia records 17 new coronavirus infections on Thursday
STA, 10 July 2020 - Seventeen out of 1,390 coronavirus tests came back positive on Thursday, a slight increase from 13 the day before, which was the lowest daily tally since 30 June. Sixteen people needed hospital treatment, one more than on Wednesday. None of the patients was in intensive care and nobody was released from hospital, government data show.
Nuška Čakš Jager of the National Institute for Public Health (NIJZ) told the press that the number of active cases in the country yesterday had been estimated at 236.
A slightly bigger increase in the number of cases was recorded in care homes but they all stem from known cases. The number of infections among medical staff has also risen.
The curve in Slovenia has been rising but daily fluctuations are being recorded, said Čakš Jager, noting that the daily count was around 20. The situation in Croatia is similar, but the rise is steeper there, she said.
In Slovenia, the number of active cases reached 11.34 per 100,000 people today, she said. Ten infections per 100,000 inhabitants has been the benchmark used by Slovenia to de-list countries as coronavirus safe. Nevertheless, Čakš Jager said the situation was under control.
Quarantine has been proposed by the NIJZ for 762 people who have been in close contact with infected persons. Twenty-five of these persons later tested positive.
Nine infections have been recorded among those who were ordered quarantine after entering Slovenia from a risky country.
The Health Inspectorate has carried out 1,876 inspections of the quarantine requirements since Saturday.
According to government spokesperson Jelko Kacin, 585 people were found to be respecting restrictions imposed on them, while 25 persons did not and will be punished. In nine cases, access to private property was not possible and in 30 cases wrong information was given to the authorities.
In 15 cases, nobody answered the door, and in 50 cases the inspectors were unable to find the right apartment in multi-apartment buildings.
Kacin said an increased oversight would also be conducted over bars and restaurants this weekend.
Among the 132 confirmed coronavirus cases in a week, 73 were linked to a local source. The number of infections from an unknown source also rose.
Among the imported cases, most came from Croatia, followed by Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo and Montenegro.
So far, a total of 1,793 infections have been confirmed in Slovenia and 111 people have died of the Covid-19 disease.
