Flu and Coronavirus cases on the rise in Greece, says EODY

Cases of flu and coronavirus in Greece recorded an increase in the week December 25- January 1, National Health Care organizartion EODY said in its weekly report published on Thursday.

According to the EODY report, the seasonal viral infections that is fly, coronavirus and RSV increased further in all age groups.

Please, note that EODY has changed the information data given to public regarding the coronavirus. It now publishes a hodgepodge of summarized data regarding all three “seasonal” diseases – flu, Covid-19, RSV – in a badly written form that it reminds of an “essay” rather scientific data and where not even the weekly coronavirus cases are explicitly mentioned as it used to.

EODY report Dec 25-Jan 1

Flu

Regarding the flu, the positivity increased even more, while a new serious case was recorded that required hospitalization in the intensive care unit. A total of 27 patients have been hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) due to influenza and 6 have died.

Covid-19

Coronavirus caused the death of another 141 patients in one week from ages 2 to 102 (average age: 84). Hospital admissions and viral load were also elevated in some areas.

The number of intubated Covid-patients stood at 119 on Sunday, January 1.

RSV

Respiratory syncytial virus  showed a slight decrease in re reference week.

✓ a further increase compared to the previous week was recorded in the community

✓the increase concerned all age groups

✓ in all age groups the number of influenza subscriptions per 1,000 visits exceeded the corresponding number for the period 2019-2020 (before the pandemic)

SARS-CoV2 virus – COVID-19 infection

✓ the number of admissions for COVID-19 showed an increase compared to the previous week

✓ the number of intubated patients with COVID-19 infection until the end of week 52/2022 is 119

✓ 141 deaths were recorded with a median age of 84 years (range 2-102)

✓ the sub-variant BA.5 is still the most frequent sub-variant of Omicron in our country ✓ the percentage ratio of the sub-variant BQ.1.1 shows an increase in relation to the other sub-variants of the strain BA.5

✓ among BA.2 strains, the most frequently recognized sub-variant is BA.2.75

✓ surveillance of viral load in municipal wastewater showed an increase in SARSCoV2 virus circulation in 3 of the 8 areas tested

Influenza virus

✓ flu positivity in the community showed a further increase

✓ 1 new severe case of laboratory-confirmed influenza type A was recorded, involving a patient hospitalized in ICU and 3 new deaths in week 52/2022

✓ in total, from week 40/2022 to week 52/2022, 27 people with flu were hospitalized in ICU and 6 deaths of patients with laboratory-confirmed flu were recorded

✓ in total, from week 40/2022 to week 52/2022, 186 samples positive for influenza viruses were detected in the two reference centers, of which 184 (99%) were type A strains and 2 (1%) were type A strains B

✓ of the 184 type A strains, 180 (98%) were classified as subtype A(H3N2) and 4 (2%) as subtype A(H1N1)pdm09

Respiratory syncytial virus – RSV

positivity shows a slight decrease compared to the previous week in a sample from mass sampling in the community (non-sentinel samples).

EODY report in Greek here.

PS I join those voices describing this kind of reporting as “shameless”, criticizing government efforts of misinformation through confusion and attempts to cover-up the real situation, especially when there is a severe shortages in drugs against these seasonal viruses and the health policy in the country leaves much to be desired.

I won’t publish it again, unless it is improved with respect to the public.