Respiratory tract infections, including Covid-19, again posted a surge in Greece during the last week of 2023, Greek public health authorities announced on Thursday.
In a weekly report, the national public health organization (NPHO) said Covid-19-related hospitalizations increased by 44% up until the last day of December, or 1,818 patients in absolute terms. Related intubations of patients with severe coronavirus symptoms also increased.
Fifty-seven Covid-19-related fatalities were reported, with the average age of the victims at 84 years, with the youngest being 67 and the oldest 102. However, the number of weekly fatalities was the lowest, on average, recorded over the past four months, and lower than the number of Covid-19 deaths recorded during the same week in 2022.
The number of new ICU cases was higher than the average weekly for the past four weeks but lower than the number of intubations in the corresponding week of 2022. The number of Covid-19 sufferers treated in ICUs is 70.
In terms of the seasonal flu, positivity remained above 10% and shows a rising trend. A total of eight serious cases needing ICU intubation were reported, while three fatalities were also recorded.
Finally, flu-like illnesses also rose between Dec. 25 and Dec. 31 per 1,000 hospital visits, compared to the previous week. The positivity of the RSV flu in Sentinel samples also rose compared to the previous week.
