Limassol: The number of deaths of hospitalized patients with laboratory-confirmed influenza has reached 13, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Health Ministry Elisavet Constantinou has told the Cyprus News Agency. On Monday, a 54-year-old man passed away in a private hospital, she said, adding that the number of deaths this year is increased.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the majority of the deceased are elderly, over 80 years old, with multiple comorbidities and they were in hospitals since December. The patients were admitted due to flu and the final cause of death will be confirmed when these cases are fully registered in the surveillance system, she explained. Constantinou moreover said that the World Health Organization has a system which determines the final cause of death, but the information so far is laboratory-confirmed flu.
She also stated that figures from the epidemiological surveillance unit show that the peak of the epidemic has been reached and a small recession has begun with a decrease in cases. The Deputy Permanent Secretary expressed hope that the picture will keep improving in the coming weeks, adding that the situation is manageable, although there is pressure on both the public and private sectors.
Constantinou explained that there are cases of respiratory infections as well that add to the pressure. She assured that there is sufficient supply of antiviral drugs and diagnostic tests as the planning takes place every summer, with an assessment of needs and available stock. She also noted that so far, 145,000 citizens received the flu shot, from an overall quantity of 160,000 vaccines the Ministry ordered.
However, she mentioned that the response for the COVID-19 vaccines is very low. Replying to a question, she said that there is still time to get the vaccine for flu as the flu season is still underway. Constantinou said that two epidemic waves are recorded every year, specifically the first after the Christmas and New Year's holidays and the second from mid-February to early March.
Regarding the effectiveness of this year's vaccine, she noted that based on data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), it exceeds 55%. Constantinou went on to say that no vaccine is 100% effective but it usually covers about 65% of the strains circulating in the community. This year, she said, because of the K substrain of influenza, the effectiveness seems slightly lower, but remains satisfactory.
The Health Ministry's Deputy Permanent Secretary also ruled out the possibility of taking stricter measures in hospitals or nursing homes, pointing out, however, that instructions were given and a team monitors the situation daily for the timely detection of clusters. She finally advised those who have not been vaccinated, especially the elderly, to do so by contacting their GP. She also urged people to observe individual protection measures, such as using a mask in crowded places, avoiding contact with sick people, proper hand hygiene, and airing out closed areas.