Greece recorded another sharp spike of daily coronavirus infections and hit a new record since the begin of the pandemic on Monday when health authorities announced 5, 449 cases. High is also the number of Covid-related deaths – 52! – in the past 24 hours. The number of Covid-patients in hospitals increased further 430 from 421 a day earlier.
One should note that due to weekend, PCR and Rapid tests are again several thousands fewer than on normal week days, at the level of 1/3 less.
Government ministers and epidemiologists held two emergency meetings on Monday aiming to find ways to deal with the new dramatic increase of infections and the pressure on the public health system, especially in northern Greece.
The government spokesman signaled earlier today new measures/restrictions particularly for unvaccinated citizens.
Early Monday evening, state broadcaster ERT reported that there is consideration to impose again restrictions to regional units with heavy epidemiological load.
Attica recorded over 1,000 infections in the past 24 hours, while the number of regions with 3-digit cases has increased to 13.
Alternate Health Minister Mina Gaga sad in an interview on Monday that efforts are underway so that the first 2,000 doses of monoclonal antibody drugs against Covid-19 arrived in the country by November 11., she said that efforts are underway in order for the first 2,000-dose order to arrive in Greece by November 11.
The infectious diseases committee is examining the criteria for administering monoclonal antibody therapy, she added, noting that all countries give immune-suppressed individuals priority access to these treatments.
Gaga said that health authorities will announce the new measures due to the increased infections on Wednesday.
Official EODY data Νοbember 1
Tests in past 24 hours:
PCR 6,090 RAPID 76,503
Positivity PCR+RAPID: 6.6%
Since the pandemic began, Greece has confirmed 747,595 infections (daily change: +0.7%). Of the confirmed cases of the last 7 days, 143 infections are related to travel from abroad and 2,662 to other confirmed cases.
Rolling average 3,902 from 3,321 last week.
52 deaths recorded in the last 24 hours, brought the total of pandemic victims to 15,990. Of these, 95.4% had an underlying condition and/or were aged 70 or over.
430 Covid-oatients are on ventilators in hospitals from 421 a day earlier.. Their median age is 65 years, 60% are men. 80.2% have an underlying condition and/or are aged 70 or over.
Of the total patients on intubation, 364 (84.65%) are unvaccinated or partly vaccinated and 66 (15.35%) are fully vaccinated.
3,316 have been discharged from ICUs since the pandemic began.
249 Covid-19 patients were admitted to hospital in the last 24 hours (daily change: -22.91%). The average admission of patients with Covid-19 to hospitals over the last 7 days was 277.
The median age of new infections is 39 years (range: 0.2 to 106 years), while the median age of the deceased is 78 (range: 0.2 to 106 years).
Vaccinations
Stand Oct 30
Party vaccinations 63.7% of the population
Fully vaccinated: 61.1%
Booster shot since Sept 13: 339,888
Vaccination tracker per region in Greek here.
Geographic distribution Νovemver 1
Of the 5,449 new coronavirus cases, 18 were detected at the entry gates of the country and 9 among travelers already in Greece.
The remaining cases are:
1021 Attica
828 Thessaloniki
339 Larissa
242 Magnisia
171 Achaia
167 Evros
Each 152 Pella, Serres
141 Imathia
133 Messinia
124 Pieria
120 Kozani
115 Aitoloakarnania
106 Drama
Other infections per region see below:
89 under investigation
MAP: Infections last 14 days
More details on EODY daily bulletin in Greek here.
More information on coronavirus in Greece here.
Historically across all countries there has of course been a correlation between testing numbers and case numbers.
However this correlation is now being skewed in Greece by a required dramatic rise in rapid testing being undertaken by the same people over and over again because they are told they have to.
The main outcome of dramatically increased rapid testing (based on instruction rather than health) is to drive the typical daily positivity percentage down to around 1% due to such low positivity in rapid testing when the reason for testing is not based on an individual’s real or perceived health.
Separate positivity for PCR testing and rapid testing used to be published. Not any more of course.
For a meaningful look at positivity we can use Monday figures where all testing has been significantly reduced, and the dilution effect of high numbers of rapid testing is equally significantly reduced.
This means that Monday figures which do not have the dramatically high diluting rapid testing, and which were historically known for low case numbers are now becoming known for their higher positivity. Mondays recently are currently no longer low case number days either, despite the reduced testing. So comparing Mondays to Tuesdays, Mondays may have 10,000 less PCR tests, but it may also have over 250,000 less rapid tests.
Six Mondays ago the positivity rate was 2.71%, five Mondays ago 2.86%, four Mondays ago 3.27%. three Mondays ago 4.18%, two Mondays ago 5.13%, and today 6.6%. No other day of the week comes close because of the other days’ high rapid testing numbers based on requirement, not health.
So as this currently stands, Mondays can give us a better idea of the positivity rate in the country were the current rapid testing requirements to be ended, rather than the extremely low positivity rate currently reported by Greece to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
In the first paragraph it states that: “The number of Covid-patients in hospitals increased further 430 from 421 a day earlier.” I think that is an error. The figure of 430 is the number of intubated patients. There are far more non-intubated patients in hospital who are seriously ill but not ill enough to warrant intubation. Intubation is used as a last resort when all other treatments have failed.
Greece does not use all treatments available. Anybody with an IQ >90 with access to the largest encyclopedia available understands this. I guess with all data the devil is in the detail……particularly currently….