Filenews 24 November 2020
The coronavirus seriously threatens the health and life of the elderly in Cyprus. The figures recorded in recent weeks in nursing homes and hospital wards are particularly worrying. The Ministry of Health and the Agency of State Health Services are sounding the alarm by again sending a message to respect protection measures both within nursing homes and from citizens in general.
Scientists, for their part, are looking to hospitals, since the epidemiological picture of the island and the number of cases that are announced every day give a clear indication that the possibility of an increase in patient admissions to hospitals in the coming weeks is very likely and stress the need to protect the elderly and in general people belonging to the vulnerable groups of the population.
With regard to the elderly in Cyprus, the data recorded by the Ministry of Health reflect the situation.
From 2 to 16 November, a total of 191 people over the age of 70 were diagnosed with coronavirus. 73, over 80. Of these, only three had a travel history and for 17 the source of infection remains unknown.
In recent weeks, 224 cases have been detected in nursing homes. 158 concerned the elderly and the rest were staff. Six elderly people with coronavirus from nursing homes died while in hospital, either in hospital wards or in the Intensive Care Unit. Five of the six deaths had a final cause of the virus.
The proportion of elderly people coming from nursing homes and being treated in the reference hospital is 25%.
The 214 cases involved staff and elderly people from nine different nursing homes – Rehabilitation centres in the provinces of Nicosia and Limassol. Another 10 cases have been detected sporadically in several other nursing homes in all provinces.
As the press officer of the Ministry of Health Margarita Kyriakou told "F", "there needs to be even more attention to the protection of elderly people who are at risk since they often show symptoms, in some cases very serious, and need hospitalization or are intubated in the Intensive Care Unit". The numbers recorded, he added, "in some nursing homes are large and show us that in these kinds of structures it is very easy to extend the transmission of the coronavirus very rapidly, with all that this entails for our elderly" and explained: "In "Socrateo Melathron" we had 63 cases of which 50 involved elderly people, in Melathron EOKA fighters we had 49 cases of which 37 involved elderly people. In "Timothy" in Nicosia we had 12 cases of which 10 were elderly people, in Kyperounta of the 34 cases 20 were elderly. Yesterday there were cases at another nursing home in nicosia province. This is something that is of particular concern to us."
"It must be understood", stressed Mrs Kyriakou "and by the people who work in these places, that the health and lives of the elderly they care for are in their hands, therefore in their social interactions and when they are outside their workplace they must be doubly careful to avoid the transfer of the virus to nursing homes".
"We stress this," concluded Mrs Kyriakou, "because since visits to these places have been banned, the only way to transfer the virus to the elderly is through the workers".
The more people belonging to the vulnerable groups of the population are infected with the coronavirus, the more imports to hospitals increase.
Speaking to "F", Mr Charilaou said that "unfortunately every day, elderly people are transported to hospitals from nursing homes and this is of particular concern to us because these people have in several cases serious symptoms and unfortunately we see that the number of deaths is also increasing, the vast majority of which involve people over 70 years of age". Special attention is needed, Mr. Charilaou said, adding that "when protection measures are not respected in general by the population and the epidemiological burden on society remains high, the more the number of cases increases. This means that the more the number of admissions of patients with coronavirus into hospitals will increase.
Already during the day (yesterday), we reached 105 patients in wards, Intensive Care Unit and Increased Care Unit. That's not a number we should just read. The health system has resistance, but these resistances are running out." If, he continued, "there were no wards operating in both Nicosia and Limassol hospitals, then the reference hospital would already be overcrowded because its beds are 88. This should concern us all." Only in the reference hospital, Mr. Charilaou pointed out, "25% of the patients are elderly people who come from nursing homes. This is something that needs to be taken seriously." The figures of the last few days, Mr. Charilaou said, "show us that the number of hospital admissions will increase in the coming days. That's why, as an OKYP, we have already been extended to the hospital in Limassol, where patients with coronavirus began to be treated."
Warning to THE OKYY from PASY
A warning to the OKY for action was issued yesterday by the Cyprus Association of Nurses, demanding that public hospitals be staffed on the basis of what was agreed last June.
"PA.SY.NO. sent a letter today to the President of the OKYY Mario Panagidis asking that the procedures for the recruitment of all nurses, as agreed between the guilds and the organisation, be urgently progressed last June. Otherwise the guild will have no choice but to take action," the Guild said in a statement, adding that "the spread of the pandemic, the increase in Covid -19 cases in the community and nurses and the operation of new chambers and services in hospitals require the immediate staffing of hospitals with nurses".
In recent months, "even before the second wave of the pandemic broke out, the guild has appealed in all directions, notably to the OKY, for the immediate staffing of hospitals, predicting that not only will needs increase with the increase in cases and patient admissions, but also with cases of Covid-19 among nursing staff. However, despite our announcements, commitments and promises and despite our constant steps, nothing has been done so far at the risk of the health system being driven to collapse, as it is not adequately staffed with nurses."
