Filenews 28 July 2021 - by Marilena Panagi
The number of elderly and elderly people, fully vaccinated or not, who are infected with the coronavirus and end up in hospitals is increasing. Official OKY data, posted on the Agency's website, gives clear indications of the continuity of the moment when scientists warn that unless timely measures are taken to protect older people, we will reach levels last Autumn, when the virus had led to the deaths of dozens of people over the age of 70.
They underline the need to provide them with data, held by the Ministry of Health, in order to proceed to properly assess the situation and reiterate the view, which since last April, they have been publicly expressing, that some groups of the population in Cyprus, as has already been decided in other countries), should probably receive a supporting dose of a vaccine against coronavirus.
The increase in the number of elderly people infected with the virus and in need of admission to hospitals does not seem to be at all unrelated to the recurrence of coronavirus in nursing homes over the last ten days.
Of course, and as information from the "F" from the OKYY states, the elderly who are in hospital are not all residents of nursing homes and closed structures.
In particular, according to official data from the Organization of State Health Services, on 8 July, a total of 16 patients over the age of 70 were hospitalized in public hospitals. In detail: 12 patients belonging to the 71-80 age group, 3 patients aged 81-90 years and 1 patient belonging to the 91-100 age group were hospitalized.
The proportion of vaccinated and unvaccinated elderly people was 50%-50%, which continues to be observed today.
The CSP report states that on 25 July, i.e. last Monday, a total of 52 patients over the age of 70 were hospitalized in state hospitals. In detail: 32 patients were in the 71-80 age group, 18 patients in the 81-90 age group and 2 patients were 91 years of age or older.
The rate of vaccinated and unvaccinated patients was again 50%-50%.
As the OKYY states in its report: "In recent days there has been the introduction of older people and in combination with the latest cases in nursing homes, the issue is considered to be of serious concern".
With regard to the median age of those hospitalised, while the report of 18 July was 53.8 years, a week later it rose to 56.77 with the majority of those in hospital still in the 40-60 age group.
"We are in the midst of a dynamic situation," the head of the Scientific Advisory Committee Konstantinos Tsioutis told "F", stressing that "we are now seeing daily announcements from different states about the very possibility of a repeat dose, at least in specific groups (e.g. elderly, immunocompromised, transplanted), not because vaccines do not protect or lead to immune memory, but because we must ensure that people respond adequately if they come into contact with the virus."
Therefore, he added, "clinical data and observations will determine the final decision: Do we see an increase in cases of infection in vulnerable populations and in people vaccinated early in our vaccination program? Do we notice any decline in the clinical efficacy of vaccines? Do we notice infections and/or incidents in closed structures?"
These are "the questions that need to be answered" and leaving spikes, according to officials in the Ministry of Health he said: "these are the issues that we as consultants have raised in the Ministry of Health for months, but we have not received any answers or sufficient data for analysis". "It is an opportunity," he pointed out, "to stress that, the continuous and timely recording and analysis of all data relating to the pandemic, is extremely necessary in any country that wants to precede events and to act decisively and preventively, so that we do not get to the point, the same behaviours are repeated and we see the phenomena of October-November 2020".
For his part, the Scientific Advisor of the Ministry of Health on Vaccines, Christos Petrou also stressed in turn that "the administration of the third dose does not concern the entire population, but some people who have a reduction in resistance, either for natural reasons, such as the elderly, or for other reasons".
Discharges and nurses in ICU
In the last seven days, according to the data of the OKY, there has been an increase in the number of hospitalized patients in the Intensive Care Units and a much greater increase in the number of hospitalized patients in the Increased Care Units. In the ICU the number of hospitalized patients was on 18 July 25 and on 25 July, reached 31. As far as MAFs are concerned, on 18 July, it stood at 31 and a week later it rose to 36 with an increasing trend.
In terms of the number of discharges and imports, in recent days there has been a difference of 5-10 incidents per 24 hours. That is, imports are 5-10 more than the discharges issued every day.
