Elderly population hit by surge in COVID hospitalizations

Sixty people, mostly elderly, are being treated in public hospitals with COVID-19 at the moment, while there is a constant flow of patients with infections, State Health Services Organization (SHSO) spokesperson Charalambos Charilaou told CNA on Wednesday.

As far as COVID-19 is concerned, Charilaou said, there is a stable number of patients being treated at the moment, at around 60. "It is an increased number compared to other weeks, there seems to be a contagion in the community which is also reflected in terms of hospitalizations," he added.

He explained that the people hospitalized are mostly elderly, over 75 years old, "with quite a few cases coming from nursing homes."

As regards other infections, the SHSO spokesperson said that they are within the expected range. "We are in the winter season, people are crowding into closed spaces, probably without proper ventilation, and this is why we have this contagion," he pointed out. "There is indeed an increased flow of patients with viral and bacterial infections,", he noted, adding that this was within the expected parameters.

Charilaou said that "there is an increase in RSV, as expected and recorded every year".

"We have seen some cases of influenza but of mild form. It is expected that the flu will appear between mid-January and the end of February," he added.