The Greeks will celebrate Christmas and New Year with a heavy viral load. The low vaccination coverage of vulnerable groups has already raised a wave of hospital admissions. At the same time, antiviral pills are proving to be a great “weapon” against the COVID-19 infection.
At least 1,100 patients daily receive the treatment at home, earning their cure outside the hospital.
Corona virus, and indeed with a strong presence of the new subvariant JN.1, from the “Omicron” family, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), as well as streptococcus circulate at high speed, causing illnesses as well as hospitalizations, intubations and deaths. Vulnerable and elderly people are easy targets as their defenses are anyway weak against the heavy infectious load they receive.
The invasion of the coronavirus, however, finds most of the elderly even more vulnerable due to their low vaccination coverage. In contrast to the adherence to vaccination against the coronavirus that people over 65 years of age had shown in previous years, this year the situation was different. Over 80% of this age group has not been vaccinated with the updated vaccine.
High “hard indicators”
The impact is reflected in the “hard indicators” known from the pandemic period, i.e. hospitalizations, intubations and deaths. More than 1,350 people are hospitalized with COVID-19 infection or with its complications in hospitals throughout the country, with 200 of them in Intensive Care Units (ICUs and Intensive Care Units).
Admissions are high – more than 200 people have been admitted each day for the last week – up 45% on the average of previous weeks. Deaths follow the same upward trend. From an average of 40 patients in previous weeks, their number has now reached 60. And as experts point out, the wave of the outbreak of the coronavirus will continue in January, with the new subvariant claiming its own space.
“The rate of deterioration recorded in the “hard indicators” will intensify. We are in the second major wave of coronavirus after the summer, as, as we have explained, the coronavirus will now be constantly present with flare-ups and recessions. The holiday season will trigger this wave.
It is certain that we will see more cases in January, with crowding, travel, family gatherings, shopping, all contributing to transmission. However, it is positive that for the time being it does not appear that we will have a more serious disease due to COVID-19″, says Professor of Pulmonology of the Medical School of the University of Crete Nikolaos Tzanakis. The expert clarifies, however, that the disease can develop differently depending on the organism that will be infected by the coronavirus:
“Age groups such as over 65 and those vulnerable due to serious illnesses are at greater risk for serious illness, hospitalization, complications. That is why vaccination is important, as is of course the observance of hygiene measures. But for those who have been advised to be vaccinated, it is necessary, as it reduces the burden of the disease and the complications”, underlines Mr. Tzanakis.
The new subvariant JN.1, according to data from countries where it is circulating (including France, Sweden, Britain, USA, Canada, Singapore), causes in addition to the usual symptoms in the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems, such as nausea, vomiting, and other annoyances.
The protection measures that accompanied us during the festive periods of previous years are being updated for the safety of the vulnerable. In addition to vaccination, it is recommended to use the mask in crowded places, such as public transport, but also a negative diagnostic test in view of festive gatherings when susceptible people are to be found.
Instant download of antivirus
According to the experts, it is extremely important for the elderly to take antiviral medication in the first 24 hours after infection. “Thanks to antiviral treatments, thousands of hospitalizations have been avoided in our country. The data is now clear: the antiviral pills prescribed by doctors and sent to patients through the EOPYY reduce mortality by 70% in high-risk groups – and of course the severe symptoms of the disease,” says the professor of Pulmonology at the EKPA School of Medicine and president of the Hellenic Pulmonology Society Stelios Loukidis.
Over the past ten days, requests for at-home antiviral pills have jumped to more than 1,100 a day, setting a record since March 2022 when they began being made available (free) to the public. “If the 1,100 antiviral drugs were not given daily, you understand that an equal number of patients would need admission to hospitals every day. The “hard indicators” would have jumped, but now we can have better management and above all cure of the patients”, says the professor.
The circulation of seasonal flu and RSV is on the rise. As the experts underline, both viruses pose a great threat to the elderly, however it is important that there is a vaccine option for the flu – and it should be taken advantage of immediately. In total, 2.5 million people have been vaccinated, a number lower than during the pandemic years.
According to EODY data, flu subscriptions have increased and will continue to move upwards. In the last week, four serious cases with hospitalization in ICU and one death were recorded. In any case, however, it is obvious that the comparison of the COVID-19 infection to that of the seasonal flu used by many as an alibi for their lax attitude towards the disease is uneven and unfortunate.
Finally, the circulation of both RSV and streptococcus is expected, with the latter leaving a heavy mark last week leading to septic shock and the death of an 8-year-old in Attica. Experts report that the circulation of each of the pathogens individually does not seem to hide any surprises, however, in combination with the parallel circulation of coronavirus and influenza, it creates a cocktail that can worsen the disease burden of the population.
source First Topic
