THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS NOW IN CYPRUS IS ACROSS THE ISLAND

 Filenews 27 October 2020

Scientists and the Ministry of Health are watching the evolution of the pandemic in Cyprus, while today and tomorrow are considered to be particularly important, since as epidemiologists estimate, these two 24 hours are expected to show whether the initial measures taken in the Limassol Province will start to pay off or not.

Particularly worrying, however, is the fact that now, at least in some geographical areas of the island and especially in Limassol, there is no reason to search for transmission chains of the crown virus, as the transmission of the virus has been considered for about a week, as generalized. In other words, the tracing process has established that many of the chains detected in the previous period had progressed to different and different outbreaks of transmission of the virus, so that neither the original source of infection nor the end of the chain could be detected.

The members of the Advisory Epidemiological Committee are holding a meeting today to assess the new data and to assess the situation. At the same time, the scientists, following instructions from The Minister of Health Konstantinos Ioannou, are preparing a document of recommendations for measures which are expected to be implemented, depending on epidemiological data of course, on a pancyprian basis and will be of a long-term nature (until the first quarter of 2021). These measures will include, inter alia, a reduction in the number of gatherings, a reduction in the number of attendees at various events, etc. In fact, the measures cannot be ruled out in the coming days, since it is necessary to ensure that a possible recession in the pandemic does not subsequently turn into a new, perhaps greater flare-up.

An important indicator for scientists is, as has been highlighted several times, the introduction of patients into hospitals. In the last three days and while the number of people who needed hospitalization last week ranged between 20-25, from Friday there has again been a gradual but steady increase. Yesterday, 25 patients were hospitalized at Famagusta Hospital, which serves as a reference hospital for coronavirus. At the same time, four patients were being treated in a ward at the Nicosia General Hospital. In the Intensive Care Unit, two people are still being treated intubated.

The number of hospital admissions, Professor Konstantinos Tsitis said in a statement, "is an indicator that we are following very carefully" and added, "there is not a specific number of admissions that we have set as a limit. However, if we see people in intensive care double digits and we see an increase in the number of elderly people being affected, which shows that transmission has now crossed the barrier that we have maintained for so many months and protected the vulnerable, it will mean that the transmission is starting to get out of control."

For her part, Famagusta Hospital Director Amalia Hatzigianni explained that "the increase in admissions reflects the picture of the detection of positive incidents in the community" and added that "5% of positive cases detected in the community in the 7 to 8 days after positiveisation of the sample show symptoms and will probably need to be introduced".

Mrs Hatzigiannis did not fail to express her concern that "staff have been working non-stop since March so far and are already showing signs of overwork". Right now, he said, "25 patients are being treated, four in the Increased Care Unit. The condition of the patients, their overall picture is good, the four patients hospitalized in MAF show more severe symptoms".

Given the increase in the number of patient admissions to hospitals, said State Health Services Agency spokesman Charalambos Charilaou, "procedures are underway to strengthen the reference hospital, both with nursing and medical personnel." At the same time, he made it clear that "patients with coronavirus who simply need hospitalization are transferred to Famagusta Hospital. The most serious incidents and incidents requiring intensive care unit services are "admitted to the Nicosia General Hospital, based on the new design".

One in 10 positive for the virus - 91 new cases announced yesterday - 79 are domestic infections

With a reduced number of laboratory diagnoses due to the previous weekend, the Ministry of Health yesterday announced 91 new cases of coronavirus resulting from 2,285 samples. However, 1,237 related to the passenger screening programme carried out at airports and 12 incidents of coronavirus occurred. As a result, the remaining 79 cases, involving domestic infections, resulted in only 1,048 laboratory tests with the proportion reaching one to thirteen. That is, in every thirteen people tested, one tested positive for the virus.

The large number of cases resulting from the tracing process is a cause for concern since it is found that one in 10 people who have been reported as contacts of cases and examined has tested positive for the virus. A total of 35 cases were detected from 345 laboratory tests. The Ministry of Health also made a reference to this in its communication: "Very important, and it shows that there is dispersion in the community, is the fact that from the process of tracing confirmed cases, a total of 345 laboratory tests were carried out and 35 cases occurred".

Before the end of 2020 the first vaccinations

The head of the coronavirus vaccine preparation programme at The University of Oxford estimated that it is likely that the preparation will start to be given to doctors and high-risk patients in Britain before the end of the year.

According to the Daily Mail, Professor Adrian Hill, founder and director of the Jenner Institute at the prestigious British university, said addressing Oxford students that initial doses could be given to these categories of citizens in 2020, with the process of urgently approving the vaccine before final clinical trials are completed.

Its full approval would follow shortly afterwards, meaning widespread use of the vaccine could begin as early as early 2021.

He said that "billions of doses" of the preparation are already being produced in ten production plants in various countries of the world, under the guidance of Astra Zeneca.

The Oxford University vaccine is in the third and final phase of testing. In the UK, the tests involve 10,000 volunteers in nine regions of the country. The vaccine is also given to volunteers in Brazil, South Africa, the US and India.