Filenews 16 January 2025 - by Marilena Panayi
Ten dead from influenza and two from RSV –with one victim an infant – Circular to schools and recommendations to parents sent by the Ministry of Health
Epidemiological data are under constant monitoring as seasonal infections give and take and Cyprus records new deaths daily. Since the beginning of the activity of influenza virus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), this year until yesterday, there have been a total of 12 deaths, while dozens of patients in the public and private sectors are hospitalized. The Ministry of Health implemented the decisions it took on Monday in an effort to reduce the transmission of viruses and decongest the Accident and Emergency Departments under constant pressure.
As far as the epidemiological picture is concerned, Cyprus seems to follow the whole of Europe with the warnings of the European Centre for Infection Control and the World Health Organization for a further increase in new cases verified so far.
According to data recorded by the Ministry of Health until last week, the acute respiratory infection rate, i.e. the number of new cases per 1,000 inhabitants, showed an increase of 25% compared to the previous three weeks.
«Recommendations have been sent to all schools and organized parents", the general director of the Ministry of Health, Christina Giannaki, told "F", "recommendations have been sent on the measures to be taken in order to prevent the transmission of viruses", while at the same time, "we have contacted the HIO and we are waiting for its response on the increase of doctors in the on-call clinics of the GHS in order to decongest somewhat the Accident and Emergency Departments that receive large numbers pressure at this time."
At the same time, as far as the deaths that have been recorded are concerned, according to statements by the Director of Medical Services, Elizabeth Constantinou, they have reached 12. Ten involved patients hospitalized with severe flu-like symptoms, eight of whom occurred in state hospitals and two in private hospitals, and another two deaths were related to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), namely a two-month-old infant and a woman who was in hospital. Constantinou stressed the need to protect vulnerable groups of the population, saying that "these people are more at risk from the viruses circulating in the community at this time".
Regarding the situation in hospitals, last week there were 98 new admissions of patients with influenza, 23 admissions of patients with Covid-19 and 10 new admissions of patients with symptoms of RSV. Yesterday, ten patients were hospitalized in Intensive Care Units of state hospitals, while the number of hospitalized patients with influenza hovered around 100 and the number of patients with Covid-19 around 30.
"The pressure on state hospitals continues to be great," the spokesman of the State Health Services Organization, Charalambos Charilaou, told F, calling once again on citizens "to take all known protection measures and pay special attention to people belonging to vulnerable groups of the population who are at risk of serious illness. even with death. Most of the deaths that occur concern elderly people and people with various health problems," he pointed out, stressing that "citizens who show symptoms must be limited to prevent the transmission of viruses."
For the rest of Europe, the European Centre for Infection Control (ECDC), in its latest report, warned of a further increase in respiratory virus activity calling on member states to take action. Member states "need to be prepared for continued increases in influenza and RSV activity in the coming weeks and need to consider infection prevention and control practices in healthcare settings," the ECDC said.
Flu test positivity at European Union level stood at 26% at the end of last week, while "flu-related hospital admissions have been observed in all age groups".
As far as respiratory syncytial virus is concerned, according to the European Center, in the last three weeks it has a stable positivity rate of 10% with the vast majority of people affected being children. "Children under five have the highest risk of hospitalization and severe outcomes due to RSV."
