Cyprus Mail 18 March 2022
A new upward trend in coronavirus diagnoses in all age groups and in all provinces is recorded in the data of the National Report.
At the same time, hospital indices are currently moving downwards.
Analytically:
As of March 14, 2022, 355,493 cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed in the Republic of Cyprus, with 904 deaths due to COVID-19 (COVID-19 mortality: 0.3%).
The cumulative 14-day incidence of COVID-19 (diagnosed 14-day cases per 100,000 inhabitants) is 3,771.2.
In the last 14 days (1 - 14 March) 33,488 confirmed cases of COVID-19 were recorded: o The median age of COVID-19 cases was 31 years (Intraquartile range: 16-45 years), 54.6% concerns women (n=14,727), 45.4% in men (n=12,253) - out of 26,980 cases (80.6%) with the relevant information available. o Based on the epidemiological history, 2.4% (n=797) were cases with a recent travel history, while 97.6% (n=32,544) are in cases of domestic transmission – out of 33,341 cases (99.6%) with the relevant information available.
As of March 16, 2022, 100 patients with active COVID-19 (diagnosed until March 14) were hospitalized (based on registered data, including those discharged, transferred or deceased on March 16). Their median age was 73 years (Intraquartile range: 60 - 83 years), with 52.9% (n=36) concerning men (out of 68 people with the relevant information available) and 38.8% (n =26) people from the Limassol district (out of 67 people with the relevant information available). In total, 22 (24.7%) people with COVID-19 who were hospitalized reported underlying diseases (out of 89 people with the relevant information available).
According to the registered data, as of March 16, 2022, 5 people with active COVID-19 (diagnosed until March 14 including those who were transferred or died on March 16) were in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) – 5 (100%) were intubated. The median age of these COVID-19 patients in ICU was 76 years (Intraquartile range: 63-83 years). Only for one case (woman) at the moment was information on gender identity available. For people with COVID-19 hospitalized in ICU at this time, the existence of underlying diseases has not been recorded.
In the last 14 days, 49,534 molecular tests (PCRs) (5,578.2 per 100,000 population) and 1,208,489 antigen rapid tests (136,091.1 per 100,000 population) have been performed.
Epidemiological Data in the Republic of Cyprus
The analyses are based on laboratory-confirmed cases that are notified to the Epidemiological Surveillance Unit of the Ministry of Health. As of March 14, 2022, 355,493 cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed in the laboratory (Figures 1, 2 and 3). In the last 14 days (March 1 - 14) 33,488 cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed laboratory. The cumulative 14-day incidence of COVID-19 (diagnosed 14-day cases per 100,000 inhabitants)1 , an indicator that reflects the percentage of active COVID-19 cases in the population (prevalence of active disease) 2, is 3,771.2 per 100,000 inhabitants (Figure 3).
Characteristics of confirmed cases of COVID-19 diagnosed in the last 14 days
Among 33,488 cases of COVID-19 diagnosed as of March 1, 2022, 54.6% are in women (n=14,727) and 45.4% in men (n=12,253) - out of 26,980 cases (80.6%) with relevant information available. By age groups: 10,463 people 0-19 years (31.8%), 19,372 people aged 20-59 years (57.9%), 3,462 people aged 60 years and over (10.3%), while for 11 cases the information was not available. Figure 4 shows the distribution of COVID-19 cases by age group and gender. The median age of all COVID-19 cases of the last 14 days is 31 years (Intraquartile range 16-45 years). The median age of adults (≥ 18 years) with COVID-19 is 39 years (Intraquartile range 29-51 years). The cumulative effects of 14 days (per 100,000 inhabitants), based on the age group, are presented in Figure A1 in the Annex.
Among the cases diagnosed in the last 14 days, out of the 26,894 (80.3%) cases with available information, 9,680 (36%) had a place of residence in the Limassol district, 8,535 (31.7%) in the Nicosia district, 3,936 (14.6%) in the Larnaca district, 3,489 (13%) in the Paphos district, 1,209 (4.5%) in the free Famagusta district and 45 (0.2%) abroad. Figure A2 in the Annex illustrates the distribution of cases by province.
Epidemiological history
In the last 14 days (1 - 14 March), of the 33,341 cases (99.6%) with available information, 2.4% (n=797) concerned cases with a recent travel history, while 97.6% (n=32,544) concerned domestic transmissions.
Clinical Features
In the last 14 days (1 - 14 March), out of 31,523 cases (94.1%) with available information, 33.9% (n=10,686) did not report any symptoms during diagnosis, while 66.1% (n=20,837) reported at least one symptom.
Underlying diseases
In the last 14 days (March 1 - 14), of the 30,827 cases (92.1%) with information available, 1,908 people with COVID-19 (6.2%) reported at least one underlying disease.
Deaths
Based on the recorded data, among the people diagnosed with COVID-19 as of March 14, 904 deaths were recorded (as of March 16, 2022), with the underlying cause being COVID-19 (COVID-19 mortality: 0.3%). Covid-19 mortality per 100,000 population is 101.8. Men had 550 deaths (60.8%) and women 354 (39.2%). The median age of people with COVID-19 who died due to this disease was 79 years (Intraquartile range: 69-86 years).
In the Limassol district, 323 (35.7%) deaths were reported, 277 (30.6%) in the Nicosia district, 164 (18.1%) in the Larnaca district, 82 (9.1%) in the Pafos district, 52 (5.8%) in the province of free Famagusta and 6 deaths (0.7%) concern residence abroad or there was no information available for them. The median time from the date of sampling to the date of death from COVID-19 was 14 days (Intraquartile range: 7-23 days).
The graph (Figure 5a) shows the number of deaths per day with an underlying cause of COVID-19. Based on the registered data, among the people diagnosed with COVID-19 as of March 14, 1044 deaths from all causes were reported by March 16, 2022 (mortality from all causes among diagnosed COVID-19 cases: 0.3%). Mortality (deaths from all causes in people with COVID-19 per 100,000 population) is 117.6. In men there were 634 deaths (60.7%) and in women 410 (39.3%). The median age of those with COVID-19 who died was 79 years (Intraquartile range: 69-86 years). In limassol district, 379 (36.3%) deaths were reported, 323 (30.9%) in Nicosia district, 185 (17.7%) in Larnaca district, 94 (9%) in Paphos district, 57 (5.5%) in free Famagusta district and 6 deaths (0.6%) are related to residence abroad or no information was available.
The median time from the date of sampling to the date of death from any cause in people with COVID-19 was 14 days (Intraquartile range: 7-24 days). The graph (Figure 5b) shows the number of all deaths (from each cause) of people who had been diagnosed with COVID-19.
Admissions to Hospitals and Intensive Care Units (ICU)
As of March 16, 2022, a total of 2.3% (n=8,080) of COVID-19 cases (diagnosed until March 14, 2022) received hospital treatment. The median age of hospitalized people is 61 years (Intraquartile range: 47-74 years). Excluding 85 (1.1%) cases without available information, hospital care was mainly for men (n=4,464, 55.8%).
The median age of patients with active COVID-19 who are still hospitalized (until March 16, 2022, with a diagnosis until March 14, 2022, without a negative test for the novel coronavirus after diagnosis or still considered potentially contagious and including those discharged, transferred or died on March 16 - n=100) is 73 years (Intraquartile range: 60 – 83 years) and 52.9% (n=36) are for men (out of 68 people with available information). 38.8% (n=26 out of 67 cases with available information) concern patients from the Limassol district, while 22 out of 89 people with available information (24.7%) reported underlying diseases. It is worth noting that until March 16, 2022 and with a diagnosis until March 14, 2022, a total of 147 patients continue to be hospitalized, including those who have ceased to test positive for the novel coronavirus or be considered contagious, were discharged, transferred or died that day. The graph below (Figure 6a) shows the number of hospital admissions (first admission) per day.
Το Γράφημα 6β παρουσιάζει τον συνολικό αριθμό νοσηλευόμενων με ενεργή COVID-19 κάθε ημέρα (εξαιρώντας τις περιπτώσεις που εισήχθησαν στις ΜΕΘ).
In total, 859 patients (10.6% of all hospitalized patients) were admitted to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU4). The median age of people admitted to ICU was 66 years (Intraquartile range: 58-73 years). Patients in the ICU were mostly men (n=536, 62.4%). The median duration of stay in an ICU (for all patients hospitalized in the ICU) is 12 days (Intraquartile range: 7-21 days).
According to the registered data, as of March 16, 2022, 5 patients (diagnosed until March 14, 2022 and without a negative test for the novel coronavirus after diagnosis or still considered potentially contagious, including those transferred or deceased on March 16) were in an ICU. The median age of these patients was 76 years (Intraquartile range: 63-83 years). Only 1 case of gender identity was available and concerned a woman. For people hospitalized in ICU in the current period, the existence of underlying diseases has not been recorded. The number of these patients currently in ICU, according to the registered data, per 100,000 inhabitants, is 0.6.
It is worth noting that until March 16, 2022 and with a diagnosis until March 14, 2022, a total of 25 patients (including those with a negative test for the novel coronavirus after their diagnosis or who ceased to be considered contagious) continue to be hospitalized intubated in ICU. Of the 859 patients admitted to the ICU, 813 (94.6%) were intubated and 5 (100%) are still intubated (out of 5 without a negative test for the novel coronavirus after their diagnosis or who are still considered potentially contagious). The graph below shows COVID-19 patients in ICU (with or without intubation) (Figure 7).
Recovery
As of March 14, 2022, 95% (n=336,849) of COVID-19 cases have been released/recovered.
