Filenews 12 March 2021 - by Ioanna Mantziepa
Concern is growing in Limassol with increased cases of coronavirus, while at the same time there are also concerns about the reliability or incorrect use of rapid tests. Speaking to "F" pulmonologist Dr. Haris Armitis, he sounded the alarm about rapid tests, stressing that several cases of false negatives and false positives are now detected.
The big problem according to Dr. Armitis, is found in the first case (false negative), as there are cases where citizens with symptoms of respiratory infection, have false negative rapid test, resulting in "health bombs".
Asked to respond to the condition with the false negative or positive rapid test, he said that "people who have symptoms do rapid testing and are negative, complacent, circulating, however, spread the virus." He even stressed that at the same time, these incidents (false negatives) may worsen their clinical picture, to the point where they will need hospitalization.
Dr. Armitis explained that all this is also due to the incorrect use of rapid tests. "When someone has symptoms of respiratory infection and has a negative rapid, at the same time a molecular PCR test should be performed for confirmation," he stressed.
He gave as an example the case of a 77-year-old in Limassol who did 3 rapid tests in a week with a negative result however, in less than 24 hours he was intubated.
On March 9 this morning the 77-year-old, who had symptoms, took the third rapid test with a negative result. At noon of the same day he made PCR with a positive result and even showed a high level of 100 000. He was admitted to the hospital the same day and the following afternoon his condition deteriorated resulting in him being intubated and transferred to the intensive care unit of the Nicosia Hospital.
In addition to this incident, Dr. Armitis also comments on the fact that in less than 48 hours, 11 patient intumations were carried out at Limassol hospital. "Such intubating frequency has never existed in this time. Right now we are going through the most difficult phase of the pandemic, at least for the Limassol Hospital, which we know the situation," he said.
Asked about the factors responsible for this rapid increase, he explained that there is uncontrolled spread and obviously there is a mutated strain of the virus which is much more contagious.
Characteristic of what is happening on the 5th floor of the hospital is the fact that yesterday nursing staff turned spaces used for other use into nursing rooms for patients.
He also said that "this is the culmination of the pandemic in Cyprus. Even in the month of January there was no such difficulty that we face today in the hospital."
