covid-testing-latest-data-source-details: 78
This data as json, copyable
|
rowid
|
ISO code
|
Entity
|
Date
|
Source URL
|
Source label
|
Notes
|
Number of observations
|
Cumulative total
|
Cumulative total per thousand
|
Daily change in cumulative total
|
Daily change in cumulative total per thousand
|
7-day smoothed daily change
|
7-day smoothed daily change per thousand
|
Short-term positive rate
|
Short-term tests per case
|
General source label
|
General source URL
|
Short description
|
Detailed description
|
| 78 |
PAN |
Panama - tests performed |
2020-10-26 |
https://twitter.com/MINSAPma/status/1320868044198105088 |
Panama Ministry of Health |
|
231 |
627880 |
145.519 |
3655 |
0.847 |
6516 |
1.51 |
0.098 |
10.238 |
Panama Ministry of Health |
http://minsa.gob.pa/covid-19 |
The number of tests performed. |
The Panama Ministry of Health reports the cumulative number of tests performed ("pruebas realizadas") on [their official dashboard](http://minsa.gob.pa/covid-19) with a time series dating back to 9 March 2020. The page with testing numbers is not the first one shown but can be navigated to with the arrows at the bottom of the dashboard. The dashboard shows the cumulative number of total, positive ("positivas"), negative ("negativas"), and control tests ("prueba de control") performed. We report here the total of positive and negative numbers because: 1) the time series only includes positive and negative test numbers; and 2) the total they provide seems to include control tests, which we understand to be used for testing quality control.
Starting 15 August 2020, the official dashboard is no longer being updated while it is being restructured. We now source the daily testing numbers from the [Ministry of Health's official Twitter page](https://twitter.com/MINSAPma). We continue to report the total of positive ("casos confirmados") and negative ("pruebas negativas") tests.
The reported number of tests performed may include non-PCR tests. The [official weekly COVID-19 bulletin on 22 May 2020](http://minsa.b-cdn.net/sites/default/files/publicacion-general/boletin_14_covid-19.pdf) lists a set of actions taken at the national level, including: "Algorithm request to the head of the ICGES virology laboratory for the confirmation or ruling out of COVID-19 cases, using serological tests" (translated). This implies that serological (non-PCR) tests are planning to be used, or are already being used, in case confirmation. On the other hand, an [official epidemiological report published on 12 May 2020](http://minsa.b-cdn.net/sites/default/files/publicacion-general/informe_especial_1_covid-19_panama_.pdf) states that "The diagnostic method used for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in the laboratory was the Molecular Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Test (RT-PCR)" (translated). We have been unable to find any official information that clarifies whether non-PCR tests are being used for case confirmation. |