2024-07-10 23:38:35
In our country, the coronavirus “hits” the elderly and the vulnerable with particular severity, proving its endurance, adaptation and persistence, five years after its appearance. Over 400 patients were being treated in hospitals yesterday, 78 of whom were in Units, while admissions in the past 24 hours reached 100.
This year’s summer outbreak of the coronavirus does not resemble the corresponding ones at the beginning of the pandemic, however, it is not negligible, as it has led in the last six weeks more than 1,800 patients with severe covid infection to hospitals.
The dozens of admissions per day and the hundreds of hospitalizations, i.e. the so-called “hard indicators”, reflect a strong epidemic wave of coronavirus, which is now at its peak, as evidenced by the heavy number of deaths.
In yesterday’s weekly epidemiological report of the National Public Health Organization (EODY), 22 deaths are reported, when the average weekly number of deaths in the previous four weeks did not exceed 8. The comparison with the corresponding week of 2023 is also disappointing, as the deaths were fewer (18) compared to 22 this week.
Low vaccination coverage against the coronavirus among the elderly and vulnerable and waning immunity from any previous illness are key reasons that have led to this epidemic wave, the second since the beginning of the year.
The previous outbreak of covid infection right after the Christmas and New Year holidays seems to have offered some immunity to the population, but that has now been greatly reduced. The crowding, traveling, going out that characterize this period combined with zero or low protection against the coronavirus easily led to a new outbreak.
Three months earlier, the number of patients hospitalized in the country’s hospitals did not exceed 80 and single-digit admissions were recorded.
At the end of March, only seven imports had been reported across the country. While in mid-March, the commander of the “Evangelismos” hospital announced in a post that for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, in February 2020, the duty of the country’s largest hospital ended without any admission of a patient with coronavirus.
Unvaccinated 9 out of 10 over 60 years
It is recalled that vaccination with the updated corona virus vaccines on an annual basis is necessary for the elderly, just as it is done with the seasonal flu. For now, however, and despite the fact that the memories of the pandemic are not too distant, the goal of an annual booster dose for vulnerable groups is not being met.
Despite the strict recommendations of experts, the elderly and the vulnerable remain uninsured, being an easy target for the coronavirus, which circulates mildly but causes a great burden on the health of individuals of this population group.
According to data from the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC), between September 1, 2023 and April 15, 2024, only 7.1% of people aged 60-69 were vaccinated with the coronavirus vaccine.
The percentage for the 70-79 age group amounted to 11.6% and for citizens over 80 years old to 8.8%. The vaccination rate of healthcare professionals in our country is remarkably low (only 4.4%).