Coronavirus Cases, Intubations Continue to Rise in Greece

The number of patients with the coronavirus who are on ventilators in Greece, as well as the total number of cases diagnosed in the country, remain high on Tuesday.

Greece recorded 847 coronavirus patients on ventilators Tuesday, the same figure that was recorded on Monday.

It amounts to the highest number of coronavirus patients on ventilators since the start of the pandemic.

The country also recorded 3,789 cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday, which marks 2,182 more instances of Covid-19 than the 1,607 cases that had been diagnosed in the country on Monday.

A total of 78,428 coronavirus tests were conducted across the country during the day, bringing the positivity rate to 4.83% in Greece, down from 7.7% yesterday.

Tragically, 87 people suffering from the coronavirus passed away in the country over the past 24-hour period, which represents nine more than those who died with the virus on Monday.

Wastewater samples from Attica and Crete show major spike in Covid-19

Regular analysis of the wastewater in Attica, as well as in the areas of Agios Nikolaos and Rethymno in Crete, has shown a dramatic spike in Covid-19 transmission in the regions.

The latest figures from the wastewater analysis, conducted from April 12 to the 18, indicate that the viral load in Attica, where Athens is located, has increased by a stunning 171%.

A significant spike in transmission has been identified in Agios Nikolaos, east of Heraklion in Crete, where the viral load has jumped by 360%.

In Rethymno, also located on the Greek island, transmission has increased by 160%.

Wastewater analysis is fundamental to understanding the complete epidemiological picture in the country, as it can reveal areas in Greece where the virus is concentrated, and it includes those with the coronavirus who may be asymptomatic and therefore go untested.

1,799 cases of Covid-19 diagnosed Attica alone; 512 in Thessaloniki

Of the 3,789 coronavirus cases recorded in Greece in the past 24 hours, 1,799 were located in Attica, home to the Greek capital city of Athens.

Instances of the virus were particularly high in the center of the city itself, where 549 cases of Covid-19 were identified Tuesday.

Tests showed that in Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, a total of 512 cases of Covid-19 had been diagnosed in the last 24 hours.

 

EMA acknowledges rare blood clot risk with Johnson and Johnson vaccine

The European Union’s drug regulator, the European Medicines Agency (EMA), acknowledged a link between the single-dose Johnson and Johnson coronavirus vaccine and instances of blood clots in the US on Tuesday.

Considering the connection between the vaccine and dangerous blood clots, although rare, the EMA stressed that a warning of the serious side effect should be included on the vaccine’s label.

The EMA argues, however, that much like the AstraZeneca vaccine, which has also been linked to blood clots in women under 60, the benefits of being inoculated with the Johnson & Johnson shot far outweigh the risks.

According to the most recent numbers, the risk of suffering the rare condition is about one case per one million inoculations with the shot.

All of the instances of blood clots included in the EMA’s analysis of the J&J shot occurred in women under the age of 60. They all suffered blood clots within three weeks of inoculation.

The study included the eight reported cases in the US, where use of the one-shot vaccine has been suspended due to its links with the potentially life-threatening medical condition.

Over 300,000 total cases of the Coronavirus identified in the country

Since the beginning of the pandemic, a total of 320,629 cases of Covid-19 have 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 50 are associated with foreign travel and 2,960 have been linked to contact with a known case.

Of the 847 patients intubated currently, 85.5% are over the age of 70 or suffer from preexisting conditions. Their average age is 68.

On Tuesday alone, 406 people with the coronavirus were admitted to hospitals in Greece.

Additionally, a total of 1,963 patients have been discharged from ICUs around the country since the beginning of the pandemic.

The 87 new deaths recorded on Tuesday bring the total number of fatalities in the country to 9,627; 95.5% of those who have passed away with the virus were over the age of 70 or suffered from underlying health issues.