According to the latest epidemiological report by the Hellenic National Public Health Organization (EODY), flu cases have increased compared to the previous week.

COVID-19 Overview

• Intubated Patients: Currently, 30 patients are intubated due to COVID-19 complications.
• Weekly Deaths: The number of deaths reported was 24, consistent with the average over the previous four weeks.
• Cumulative Data: From week 01/2024 to week 02/2025, there have been 348 recorded deaths in severe cases, including those intubated or in ICU care.

The SARS-CoV-2 positivity rate has declined compared to the previous week. During the week, 648 new hospital admissions were recorded, higher than the four-week average of 525. New intubations totaled nine, aligning with the four-week average.

Variants

Subvariants KP.3 and XEC of BA.2.86 dominate recent detections. The XEC variant, first identified in week 33/2024, has shown an upward trend since October. Neither variant is currently associated with an increased risk of severe disease.

Flu Updates

• Community Positivity: Flu positivity rates, monitored via the Sentinel surveillance network, remain above the 10% threshold indicating seasonal flu activity. This represents an increase from the previous week.
• Severe Flu Cases: During week 02/2025, 24 new severe flu cases requiring ICU admission were reported, alongside three flu-related deaths. Since week 40/2024, 58 ICU admissions and seven deaths have been recorded.
• Retrospective Cases: An additional three ICU admissions were retroactively reported, with admission dates falling in weeks 52/2024 and 01/2025.

Among 1,652 samples tested between week 40/2024 and week 02/2025:

• 167 samples (10%) tested positive for influenza viruses.
• Of 164 typed samples:
  • 154 were Influenza A.
  • 10 were Influenza B.
• Of 141 subtyped Influenza A samples:
  • 47 (33%) were A(H3).
  • 94 (67%) were A(H1)pdm09.

RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus)

RSV positivity remains at very low levels in both the community (via Sentinel network) and hospitals (via SARI surveillance).

Wastewater Analysis

• Viral load in urban wastewater remains low in two of six monitored regions, moderate in two, and high in the remaining two. A rise was noted in regions with high viral load compared to the previous week.

This report highlights the evolving trends of respiratory infections and stresses the importance of early detection and mitigation efforts to control their spread.