Greece health authorities announced on Tuesday 85 new confirmed cases and another 20 on a cruise ship. The total number of confirmed coronavirus infections is 1,314. At the same time death toll jumped to 49, after seven patients lost their lives in the last 24 hours.
National Health Organization spokesman Sotitis Tsiodras said during the daily briefing that 383 passengers onboard of a cruise ship were tested for Covid-19, and some 20 new infections were reported there.
He did not reveal which cruise ship, where it is and to which company or country belongs, as Greece banned foreign ships to dock at Greek ports since mid-March.
85 patients are intubated and their average age is 66. the majority of them are men, 17 are women. 57% of the intubated patients have underlying health issues.
From those who have died since the start of the outbreak, 37 were men and 16 were women, over 90 pct had underlying health issues and their average age was over 70 years of age.
A total of 6 patients have been discharged from ICUs.
Of the 49 dead, 37 were men and 12 women. Over 89% had underlying health issues. Their average age was over 70.
16,732 tests have been conducted since the outbreak of the coronavirus in the country end of February.
Based on the confirmed cases, the case fatality risk is at 3.7%. The number of inutabted increases each and every day.
Authorities warn of “crucial days ahead,” of a whole crucial April” for the course of the virus.
Professor for Iinfectious Diseases Tsiodras warned “we would have 150 deaths per day, if we didn’t have imposed the restrictions measures.?
He stressed that those not infected should not wear masks. “Masks are for health workers, for infected persons and for those taking care of infected persons,” he underlined.
In the same briefing, though, he said referring to the virus’s transmissibility, that it seems that every infected person with symptoms corresponds to an asymptomatic carrier of the virus, who can transmit the disease without knowing it. “We estimate 10-50% of transmissions are due to asymptomatic patients.”
PS Given the fact that testing is not broad and infected people can also be asymptomatic.. it is true what health experts say that everybody will get the coronavirus, even those of high risk.
At the same time, the thing with wearing or not masks is rather confusing for the average Greek as TV channels scream “elderly go out with a mask!” and if the elderly needs a mask, he can hardly find one due to shortages.
FYI
The 3.7% does not factor all the infections that have recovered without being tested.
Many have had light or no symptoms and have recovered without being tested and included in this statistic
Everybody must wear a mask outside and gloves and glasses,no buts about it,they say masks dont do much,thats because they dont want us all hoarding them,front line medical workers need them first,make them at home everybody,quite simple.
The proportion of virus positive people with no major symptoms is put at 45% by the Italian authorities, and about 50% by China. However, Tsiodras is totally wrong to claim that transmission by asymptomatic people is in the range of 10-50%. First of all, he has no reliable data to make that estimation. Secondly, and especially in an epidemic, people avoid going anywhere near someone with flu-like symptoms. They cannot make that choice if there are no symptoms: therefore, the probability is that infections are caused predominantly by asymptomatic carriers.
There are only two ways to address this. The better of the two is to track contacts of victims, and test everyone who may have had contact. Even better, is to test everyone and also limit movement within and without the country. The second way is easier, but less effective: lockdown of some 80% of the population, leaving about 20% to work and move around as usual (and potentially to die of the virus). This second way is the approach adopted by most of Europe; the first way is what China and South Korea have done.
Totally agree. I am from Korea and we all know that masks are necessary. Greek authority says this because they don’t have enough masks and don’t want people go crazy over the masks. If you don’t have masks, don’t go out.