Flu, Covid easing, EODY reveals in weekly report

Respiratory infections from viruses like the flu are showing signs of easing after a sharp spike over the Christmas holidays, the National Public Health Organization (EODY) reported on Thursday.

EODY said admissions for respiratory infections at the country’s 11 biggest hospitals dropped to roughly 45 per 1,000 admissions on January 16-22, against 80/1,000 the week before that. Related doctors’ visits also dropped below the threshold of 10% of total visits, across all age groups, the agency said.

In reference to Covid in particular, EODY reported 168 new fatalities in the third week of January – a decline of 15% from the week before – and 1,535 new hospital admissions, also a drop of 12%. In terms of new confirmed cases, EODY said the positivity rate shrank, but did not elaborate.

The flu, meanwhile, has claimed 17 lives since October. EODY has stopped reporting the total Covid death toll.