Experts see pandemic peaking in August

With cases continuing to rise, health authorities on Wednesday reiterated that the writing is already on the wall and Greece is indeed in the midst of a fourth Covid-19 pandemic wave.

In addition to the rising infection rate, the transmissibility index of the virus has also spiked sharply, as well as the percentage of positive tests.

Experts expect the wave to spread further with several thousand cases on a daily basis in August, which, although currently affecting a large percentage of young people, may also affect those who have not been vaccinated over the age of 50. 

“The epidemic will escalate quickly and abruptly,” warned Nikos Sipsas, an infectious diseases professor at Athens University, adding that the fourth wave may peak between the middle and end of August.

“Of course I cannot make predictions but we are talking about many thousands of cases,” he said, noting that in August “we could see more than 10,000 cases a day.”

Bearing in mind what appears to be a dire outlook, the scientific community and the state have not tired of essentially pleading with those who have neglected or hesitated to get their jabs to do as soon as possible, while also considering the possibility of extending the vaccination program to children over 12 years old.

This point was hammered home at an online event of the Hellenic Pulmonary Society by the president of the Panhellenic Medical Association, Athanasios Exadaktylos, who said there is an immediate need to vaccinate the 600,000 to 700,000 citizens over 50 who have not been vaccinated so far, so that the National Health System is not put under renewed pressure.

The National Public Health Organization (EODY) announced 2,938 new cases of Covid-19, of which 1,423 were detected in Attica, 179 in Thessaloniki, 127 in Iraklio, Crete, 110 in Rethymno and 89 in Achaia.

The replication rate of the virus was estimated at 1.38, a significant increase when compared with two weeks ago when it stood at 0.8. 

The Covid positivity rate last week was 3.15% compared to 1.89% and 1.10% in the previous two weeks.

Seven more patients with Covid-19 died on Wednesday while 135 patients were intubated. The number of new hospital admissions was 100. Last week, 452 new hospital admissions were reported against 408 discharges due to recovery.