The first case of coronavirus has been confirmed in Greece on Wednesday. It was announced by Sotiris Tsiodras, in charge for the conoravirus infections on behalf of the National Health Organization short before noon.
The infected patient is a 38-year-old Greek woman who recently returned from a trip to North Italy.
She is in quarantine in a hospital in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, most likely in AHEPA one of the 13 public hospitals througout Greece designated to deal with coronavirus cases.
“She is in good health with mild symptoms,” Tsiodras said.
He added that authorities are no investigating the persons with whom the woman came in contact, that is family members, relatives, friends etc. They will be in quarantine as well.
According to ANT1 TV, her family has been advised to stay at home and immediately contact authorities if some symptoms arise.
It is not known, when and how the patient returned from Italy.
Tsiodras advised all those coming from northern Italy to keep up with hygiene measures and contact health authorities if they have any suspicious symptoms.
With the first case confirmed, it is not clear whether Greece will implement some of the emergency measures to prevent the spreading of the virus. The measures are to be implemented according to prevailing circumstances and the protocol. Those violating them are threatened with up to 2 years imprisonment.
In the last 24 hours, health authorities tested ‘negative’ of coronavirus four other people.
A mother and a child are under medical supervision in the hospital of the island of Lesvos. Blood samples have been sent to Pasteur Institute in Athens, local daily lesvosnews reports.
All six people have recently returned to the country from Italy.
Media report of a 59-year-old Greek man who will go into ” voluntary quarantine” after returning from the neighboring country. He told news website newsit that he is afraid about his family after having stayed in Turin, northern Italy, for a couple of days.
Since Monday, dozens of students have returned from educational trips to Italy, none of them was checked even with a temperature check at the borders points.
Exceptions two ERASMUS students and their professors from Xanthi, northern Greece. They are at home supervision, though and not in hospital.
Authorities have been saying that it would be a matter of time for the coronavirus to reach Greece.
After years of economic crisis and drastic cuts in the health sector, it is a question whether the public health system could deal with a widespread infection.
Ever since the coronavirus broke out in Italy, Greeks “raided” pharmacies triggering a shortage in surgical masks. Media reported on Wednesday morning, that masks had disappeared in the pharmacies of Thessaloniki. As if people knew about the infection…
PS the next Greeks will “raid” are the supermarkets…
