Cyprus epidemiological report shows 84% of recent cases imported

A total of 985 COVID-19 cases and 25 deaths have been reported in the Republic of Cyprus until June 16, with the fatality rate standing at 2.5%, according to the national surveillance report on COVID-19 published on Thursday.
 
Among these cases, 19.4% are health-care workers (191), 4% physicians (39), 9.8% nurses (97), 1.3% other health occupations (13), and 4.3% auxiliary staff (42), the report produced by the Epidemiological Surveillance Unit of the Ministry of Health showed. The median age of cases is 45 years, 50.7% are male and 49.3% are female.
 
Overall, of 840 cases for which the place of exposure was known, locally acquired  infections  (index  cases and  close-contacts  of  confirmed  cases) were 674 (80.2%). Of these 8.5% (57) were related to a health-care facility (General Hospital in Pafos) and 12.5% (84) were reported in Aradippou Municipality.
 
In the last 14 days (since 3rd June, included), of 31 cases reported, 84% (26) were imported, and 16% (5) were locally-acquired
 
In total, 18.2% (179) of cases received hospital care, of which 146 patients (81.6%) have been discharged alive from the hospital. Median age of all hospitalized patients is 62 years and 64.8% are males.
 
Two patients were still in intensive care units (for part of the day if they died, were discharged or transferred on that day or for the whole day, by June 16th); one of them was intubated.
 
Among cases alive, 818 (85.2%) cases have recovered (without symptoms and with two negative tests following their diagnosis or released 21 days after diagnosis).
 
A total of 143,602 tests have been performed until June 16th (16,394.8 per 100,000 population).
 
Also, the 14-day cumulative incidence rate of COVID-19 (per 100,000 population), a measure which reflects the number of active COVID-19 cases in the population (prevalence), is 3.5 per 100,000 population.
 
Among these cases, 50.7% are male (499) and 49.3% female (486). The median age of cases is 45 years. By age groups, cases included 64 infants, children and adolescents aged 0-17years-old (6.5%), 689 adults aged 18-59 years (70%), and 232persons aged 60 years and older (23.5%).
 
Among all cases, 383 (38.9%) were reported in Nicosia district, 248(25.2%) in Larnaca, 166 (16.9%) in Pafos, 117(11.9%) in Limassol, 47 (4.8%) in Ammochostos, and 24 (2.4%) were reported either in the British bases or had a residence abroad, or information was not available.
 
Notably, 128 cases (13%) were reported in Aradippou. Cases in Aradippou, including a cluster in a local bakery production line, are mainly males (58.6%, 75) and the median age is 49 years. If the cluster is excluded, cases are mainly female (53%, 53) and the median age is 54.5 years.
 
Among the 985 cases, 19.4% are health-care workers (191), 4% physicians (39), 9.8% nurses (97), 1.3% other health occupations (13), and 4.3% auxiliary staff (42).
 
By June 16th, place of exposure is available for 840 cases (85.3%). In total, 19.8% (166) of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19-cases had history of travel or residence abroad during the 14 days prior to symptom onset (imported).  These cases have a direct link to the UK and Greece, mainly.
 
Locally acquired infections (index  cases and close-contacts of confirmed cases) occurred in 80.2% (674 of 840 with known place of exposure) of the cases, of which 8.5% (57) were related to a health-care facility (General Hospital in Pafos).
 
Of all cases in Aradippou (128), 84 or 65.6% were locally-acquired, 11 or 8.6% imported and for 33 cases (25.8%) the epidemiological link was not recorded at the moment.
 
In the last 14 days (since 3rd June, included), of 31 cases reported, 84% (26) were imported, and 16% (5) were locally-acquired.
 
Of the 985 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19-cases, clinical information is available for 98.6% (971), of which 34.2% (332) reported no symptoms at diagnosis and 65.8% (639) reported at least one symptom.
 
The most commonly reported symptoms were cough (314/958; 32.8%), fever (300/958; 31.3%), myalgia (206/957; 21.5%), sore throat (160/955; 16.8%), anosmia (110/867; 12.7%), and shortness of breath (107/942; 11.4%). Other reported symptoms were diarrhoea, runny nose, and headache.
 
Information on comorbidities was available for 876(88.9%) cases. Of these, 346 (39.5%) reported at least one comorbidity. The most commonly reported comorbidities were hypertension (130/868; 15%), diabetes (77/876; 8.8%), heart disease (66/869; 7.6%), and cancer (25/876; 2.9%). Other reported comorbidities were chronic respiratory disease, chronic kidney disease, and autoimmune disease.
 
By June 16th, 25 deaths were reported in Cyprus (Case Fatality Rate or CFR 2.5%). The mortality rate for COVID-19 is 2.9 per 100,000 population.
 
Eighteen deaths (72%) occurred in men and seven (28%) in women; the median age of all deaths was 76 years.
 
Nine deaths were reported among residents in Larnaca, seven in Pafos, four in Nicosia, three in Ammochostos, and two in Limassol.
 
The median time from date of sampling to death was 12 days. For 18 deaths, COVID-19 was the underlying cause of death (COVID-19 CFR: 1.8%).
 
In total, 18.2% (179) of people with COVID-19 received hospital care, and 146 patients (81.6%) have been discharged alive from the hospital. The median age of hospitalized patients was 62 years. Hospitalized cases were mainly males (116; 64.8%).
 
Overall, 32 cases (17.9% of all hospitalized patients) have been admitted to ICU4, of which two were still in ICU (as of June 16th). A total of 27ICU patients (84.4% of all ICU patients) have been intubated, of which one (50% of all patients currently in ICU) are still intubated.
 
The overall median length of stay in ICU (for all 32 ICU cases, considering those still in ICU until June 16th) was 11 days. For patients who died while in ICU (17), the median length of stay in ICU was 11 days.
 
For patients transferred/discharged alive from ICU (13), the median length of stay in ICU was 10 days. The median age of patients ever admitted to ICU was 65.5 years. ICU patients are mainly male (23; 71.9%).
 
The number of cases currently in ICU is 0.3per 100,000 population. For comparison, Italy and Lombardia reported the highest rates of 6.7 per 100,000 population (4,068) and 13.8 per 100,000 population (1,381) on April 3rd. The ICU rates in Italy and Lombardia on June 16thare 0.3per 100,000 population (177) and 0.7 per 100,000 population (69).
 
Until June 16th, among cases alive, 85.2% (818) of COVID-19 cases have recovered; of which 738 (90.2%) tested negative two consecutive times, and 80 (9.8%) have been released as per the new guidelines.
 
The median time between the  second  negative result and the first date of sampling was 25 days.
 
Furthermore, in Cyprus the reporting rate was 112.5 cases per 100,000 population, the mortality rate was 2.9 deaths per 100,000 population and the CFR was 2.5%.
 
In Cyprus the testing rate is 16,394.8 per 100,000 population. It should be noted that the number of cases, tests and deaths for Cyprus are aggregated and include people from abroad and the British bases, while the total population does not include inhabitants from abroad or from the British bases.
 
The full National Surveillance Report on COVID-19, published on June 18, 2020, is available here.