Every week Public Health Wales publishes a "surveillance report" into lateral flow testing across the country. It is designed to track trends in positive cases and give a better overall picture of Covid-19 prevalence across the country.
This data has become a more prominent source of information for the Welsh Government following its change in guidance which no longer calls on asymptomatic people to take a PCR test following a positive lateral flow. People with symptoms should still have a PCR test first.
Here is a snapshot of the coronavirus situation in Wales based solely on LFT data. To get a fuller picture it's best to read this in conjunction with the daily reports of PCR test results. This can be found here.
Read more: Senior hospital ICU consultant on the state of Covid in Wales right now as cases grow
1. The number of positive lateral flow tests reported is increasing
In the most recent reporting week, which runs from March 7 to 13, there were 211,364 LFT results reported – which is up on the 194,814 in the previous week.
However the number of positive testing episodes has risen substantially, increasing from 12,288 in the previous week to 21,212 in the latest reporting week. There haven't been that many positive tests recorded in a single week since the week ending January 30.
Across Wales there were 669.2 positive LFT episodes per 100,000 population compared to 387.7 in the previous week – a massive leap. Meanwhile the proportion of positive LFTs is also increasing. Some 17.38% of LFT episodes were positive. In the previous week this was only 10.88%.
2. Hywel Dda UHB had the most positive lateral flow tests per head of population
Hywel Dda UHB recorded 815.5 positive testing episodes per 100,000 population – the highest of all health boards in the latest reporting week.
This health board had an episode positivity of 18% with 3,178 new positive episodes. In the previous week incidence in Hywel Dda was far lower at 467.5 per 100,000 population and episode positivity was 11.35%.
Pembrokeshire, which is based in Hywel Dda UHB, was the local authority with the highest LFT positivity rate per head at a whopping 924.6 positive cases per 100,000.
Positive lateral flow testing episodes per 100,000 population (March 6 to 13)
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board
Blaenau Gwent: 722.7 (up on last week)
Newport: 648.8 (up on last week)
Caerphilly: 540.4 (up on last week)
Torfaen: 529.4 (up on last week)
Monmouthshire: 812.3 (up on last week)
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
Conwy: 682.8 (up on last week)
Anglesey: 601.9 (up on last week)
Gwynedd: 890 (up on last week)
Denbighshire: 664.2 (up on last week)
Flintshire: 709 (up on last week)
Wrexham: 663 (up on last week)
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
Cardiff: 674.2 (up on last week)
Vale of Glamorgan: 736.9 (up on last week)
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
Merthyr Tydfil: 627.8 (up on last week)
Rhondda Cynon Taf: 670.2 (up on last week)
Bridgend: 547 (up on last week)
Hywel Dda University Health Board
Carmarthenshire: 731.3 (up on last week)
Pembrokeshire: 924.6 (up on last week)
Ceredigion: 845.1 (up on last week)
Powys Teaching Health Board
Powys: 713.4 (up on last week)
Swansea Bay University Health Board
Neath Port Talbot: 601.2 (up on last week)
Swansea: 566.2 (up on last week)
Wales total: 669.2 (up on last week)
3. Younger age groups are reporting highest percentage of positive LFTs
The 20-39 age group recorded the highest incidence in the latest reporting week with a rate of 828.4 positive testing episodes per 100,000 population. This age group had an episode positivity of 21.27% with 6,604 new positive episodes. In the previous week incidence in the 20-39 age group was 541.9 positive testing episodes per 100,000 population and episode positivity was 14.77%.
The second-highest age group was those between 40 and 59s followed by under-20s, people aged 60 to 79, and then the over-80s. Meanwhile men reported a higher positivity rate when compared to women. For the most recent week 19.83% (8,632) tests came back positive while in women it was 16%.
