The President of Athens and Piraeus Hospital Doctors’ Association (EINAP) Matina Pagoni, stressed that “compared to 2023 when there were about 186 cases this month, we currently have about 478 cases in terms of covid

“We have 22 deaths which is quite a few compared to last year. Of course what is important is that the high-risk groups understand that people with underlying diseases should at this time again be very careful because we have interactions more with people with their families, with their friends, and so on. So the transmission happens quite quickly. The new strain, is very prevalent in the US and Europe and in Greece, with tourism, it makes sense to have these strains as well. It doesn’t have and harder clinical picture of the patient, but it is quite contagious. What we have noticed in the last few days and the last week is that we also have a very high demand for antiviral drugs. That is the number of prescriptions has about quadrupled. And it makes sense because we have too many cases. Fortunately, the clinical picture of the patients does not change. It’s not more severe compared to other coronavirus strains and this strain has the same clinical picture. We have to pay special attention. And to say something else. We need to keep antiseptics close at hand to continue to have them. And of course, the high-risk groups when they go to a place where it’s very crowded there, it doesn’t hurt to use their mask. We use it, they use it, and we’ve seen that in the last few days that this group has realized that things have gotten more difficult and they’re taking more precautions to protect themselves,”
he said.

On the issue of vaccination about coronavirus, Ms Pagoni said “You know that on coronavirus in the last few months, we’ve been a little bit forgotten. We’ve been very much pressed for three years. And about measles, for pertussis, parents were not going to vaccinate their children as much as they did in previous years. And we know this from the available statistics. That’s why there had been a call in the previous months when pertussis and measles started, for mothers to get their children vaccinated and not to leave them because there is a problem. And what concerns us is the complications of pertussis. That concerns us more in the children who have to go to the hospital because it’s not so easy to deal with it at home.”

Pertussis outbreak in Europe – Paediatricians on alert

On the issue of the pertussis outbreak, pediatrician and associate of the Third Pediatric Clinic, Nikolaos Karatzoglou, stressed that: “Pertussis every three to five years makes epidemics even in countries that have good vaccination coverage. So pediatricians are on the lookout. We have been in such a situation in the last few months, which we see all over Europe, and that is why, in fact, already in April the EODY had pointed it out to us doctors. What happened in June, however, is that this point was made more strongly. So what did it tell us with an emergency briefing to all health professionals? This year by the end of May we had 230 cases, whereas last year by the end of May we had only 9 reported cases. Do you understand the increase,” he said.

“The other thing he told us that was and is tragic is that two infants in our country died of pertussis. These are two children’s lives that in a country like ours should not happen and that is why he suggested measures. The measures that he has proposed are firstly, the measure of vaccination which is the only measure that can protect infants. So this measure proposes that all pregnant women should do it in the 27th to 37th week of pregnancy so that the newborn coming into life has ready antibodies. Because all children in Greece are vaccinated against pertussis when they are two months old. So until then, they are unprotected. The other thing that he suggests is that all health professionals should be on alert pediatricians and gynecologists. The third new thing he suggests if a mother who gave birth for whatever reason skipped vaccination before she left the maternity ward, she should be vaccinated. The fourth thing that’s also new is that it now suggests that everyone who is around a newborn around a toy should be vaccinated as soon as possible so that he has what we call the cocoon, the protection from those around him so that he’s not in danger.” he continues.

According to Karatzoglou, “During the pandemic period, in some age groups, vaccinations were attenuated. Those who are most affected are infants who have not had time to be vaccinated for pertussis, while we adults can also catch it. What is the difference? Pertussis is a microbial infection of the respiratory tract. So what happens when we get this germ and after a few days we start to get a runny nose? The initial stage lasts a couple of weeks. So that’s where the patient coughs, has seizures, and can very easily spread it to those around them. It’s a very contagious disease and then there’s another stage, the paroxysmal stage, where the patient, and especially the child if you see a video of a child, will be frightened, coughing non-stop, and usually needs hospitalization. So there, yes, it is contagious. And when can it be contagious If it’s unvaccinated or if someone has been over 10 years since their vaccination the vaccine immunity goes away, so they have to get it again.”