The coronavirus is experiencing a resurgence, arriving earlier this summer than last year. Data indicates a fourfold increase in patients in regular hospital beds, though there hasn’t been a rise in severe ICU cases.
Professor of Epidemiology, Gikas Magorkinis, noted that each coronavirus outbreak typically lasts one to two months. This suggests that the current summer surge will persist until the end of August, after which a decline is expected.
Magorkinis explained, “These are different strains of COVID-19 with similar mutations, termed Flirt. These variants can more easily evade immunity from previous infections or vaccinations, driving this summer’s earlier outbreak. However, they do not seem to cause severe illness.”
He added, “It’s still early for the decline. An outbreak usually lasts 1 to 2 months, so we expect a plateau by the end of July and a de-escalation by the end of August.”
Regarding vaccines, the professor clarified, “Vaccines are updated annually, typically in October. This year’s vaccines won’t account for these mutations but still provide 80% protection. Vaccination has been proven to protect against severe disease, even if it doesn’t prevent infection entirely.”
On hospitalizations, the university professor noted, “There is an increase compared to a month ago. The admission rate has doubled, and the number of patients in regular beds has quadrupled, but it remains low compared to the pandemic peak. Most intubated patients have co-morbidities.” He urged those with symptoms to get tested and take antiviral medication promptly to prevent complications.
Professor of Pulmonology, Nikos Tzanakis, stated, “We are at 2022 levels, not even 2023 when we had 5-10 hospitalizations. In Heraklion, we have about 20 patients, all elderly with concomitant diseases or younger individuals with immune deficiencies.”
According to Tzanakis, the current outbreak is due to three factors:
- The Flirt variant, which is highly contagious, evades immunity and facilitates easy transmission.
- Increased socialization due to summer activities.
- Significant waning of immunity from vaccination or previous infection.
“This is a prolonged summer flare-up causing hospital issues but not overwhelming the NHS at the ICU level. Nonetheless, it’s best to avoid getting infected. If we feel unsafe, wearing a mask is advisable,” Tzanakis concluded, urging his colleagues to prescribe antiviral drugs for such cases.
