Increasing Number of Patients in ICUs Puts Strain on Greek Health System

The number of people with the coronavirus who require intubation has caused concern amongst Greek health officials, who fear the pressure on Greece’s national health system.

A total of 477 people with Covid-19 were intubated in Greece’s ICUs on Monday, which represents 11 more than those recorded on Sunday.

The influx of patients undergoing the intensive treatment, which involves placing a tube down a person’s throat to assist in breathing, has put immense strain on the country’s hospitals and has left very few ICU beds available for others.

Greece recorded a total of 1,165 cases of Covid-19 on Monday, out of the 19,025 coronavirus tests that were conducted across the country during the day, bringing the positivity rate to 6.12% in Greece.

The current figure represents 23 more than the 1,142 instances of the coronavirus that were diagnosed in Greece on Sunday, just one day before.

Tragically, 39 people with the coronavirus passed away in the country over the past 24-hour period, which is 14 fewer than those who died with the virus on Sunday.

556 cases of Covid-19 diagnosed in Attica alone; 108 in Thessaloniki

Of the 1,165 coronavirus cases recorded in Greece in the past 24 hours, 556 were located in Attica alone, home to the city of Athens.

Instances of the virus were particularly high in the center of the city itself, where 167 cases of Covid-19 were identified.

In Piraeus, the port of Athens, 60 new cases of the virus were diagnosed on Monday.

Tests showed that in Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, a total of 108 cases of Covid-19 were diagnosed in the last 24 hours.

Total 206,281 coronavirus cases in Greece since the start of the pandemic

Since the beginning of the pandemic, a total of 206,281 cases of Covid-19 have now been recorded in the country, including all those who have recovered from the virus.

Of the cases diagnosed in Greece in the past seven days, just 64 are associated with foreign travel and 2,887 have been linked to contact with a known case.

Of the 477 patients intubated currently, 84.5% are over the age of 70 or suffer from preexisting conditions. Their average age is 68.

On Monday alone, 337 people with the coronavirus were admitted to hospitals in Greece.

Additionally, a total of 1,416 patients have been discharged from ICUs around the country since the beginning of the pandemic.

The 39 new deaths recorded on Monday bring the total number of fatalities in the country to 6,797, and 95.7% of those who have passed away with the virus were over the age of 70 or suffered from underlying health issues.