Greece confirmed 22,889 new Covid-19 infections and 108 deaths associated with the virus in the last 24 hours, the National Public Health Organization (EODY) announced on Tuesday.
A total of 18,855 cases were recorded in the country the day before, Monday, and 109 people had died with the virus during that 24-hour period.
Since the pandemic began, Greece has confirmed a total of 2,090,383 Covid-19 infections. Of the cases recorded in the last seven days, 399 infections are related to travel from abroad and 2,392 to other confirmed cases.
The 108 deaths associated with the coronavirus recorded in the last 24 hours bring the total number of people who have died with the virus in Greece to 24,322. Of those who passed away, 95.1 percent had an underlying condition and/or were aged 70 or over.
77.67% of intubated patients with Covid-19 in Greece unvaccinated
A total of 524 coronavirus patients are on ventilators in hospitals on Tuesday, compared to the 549 undergoing the treatment the day before.
Their median age is 66 and 84.7 percent have an underlying condition and/or are aged 70 or over. Of the total, 407 (77.67%) are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated and 117 (22.33%) are fully vaccinated. Another 4,106 patients have been discharged from ICUs in Greece since the pandemic began.
In addition, 424 Covid-19 patients were admitted to hospitals in the last 24 hours. The average admission of patients with Covid-19 to hospitals over the last 7 days was 462.
The median age of those with new infections is 35 years, while the median age of the deceased is 78.
Why Greece has a high Covid-19 death rate
Greece has recorded unprecedented high death rates from Covid in recent months. With 136 deaths per 1 million population, it had almost three times the death rate of the European average as of January 29, 2022.
Experts analyzing the data have identified several factors that contribute to the high fatality rate in the country.
In the multiple questions they have received about the extremely high mortality rate in Greece, both scientists of the Committee of Experts of the Ministry of Health, as well as state officials, attribute the phenomenon primarily to the low vaccination rates among our most vulnerable fellow citizens, who are at risk of developing serious disease and dying from the virus.
These are the unvaccinated people over the age of 60 — mainly the elderly — as well as the people with serious underlying diseases. However, as everyone admits, this is not the only reason. Another contributing factor is the over-consumption of antibiotics that do not “work” when doctors need them, as well as the great pressure placed on the National Health System.
Recently responding to the opposition, Minister of Health Thanos Plevris attributed the problem of deaths to the aging population of our country, which to a large extent remains unvaccinated, he said. He made his remarks during the debate in Parliament on the motion of no confidence in the government regarding, among other things, the management of the Covid-19 pandemic.
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