Pandemic on the rise in Corfu
COVID-19
18 Nov 2021
/ 09:55
CORFU. There were 8 deaths in just the first two weeks of November.
There has been a significant worsening of the Covid situation in Corfu, which can be seen in the increase in new cases, hospital admissions and the number of deaths.
In just the first two weeks of November there were 8 deaths in Corfu, compared to four for the whole of the previous, according to epidemiologist Yiannis Alamanos, head of Corfu Covid Watch.
He said that there were 4 deaths in August of Corfu Hospital patients in either the Special Infectious Diseases Unit or the ICU, 4 in September and 4 in October.
The hospital is under pressure due to the increased number of Covid patients. According to hospital sources, there were 39 yesterday, 17 November.
Record number of cases
Yiannis Alamanos told Enimerosi that the number of cases in Corfu is unprecedented. There were 1,337 new infections during the period 1-16 November, with a daily average of 83 and on 16 November the number of new cases was in three digits for the first time - 139! "The number of cases in Corfu Town is unprecedented," he said. "We have also observed a spread to other areas in the Central Corfu Municipality and a gradual spread throughout the island, leading to more cases, hospital admissions and deaths."
Reasons
According to Yiannis Alamanos, there are four reasons for the increase:
1. The prevalence of the Delta variant, which has greater transmissibility, during the summer.
2. The lifting of some measures and the non-observance of mandatory measures (masks, distancing) especially at places of work.
3. The vaccination rate amongst older people (1 in 4 or 5 of those over 60 are unvaccinated leading to hospital admissions from that age group.
4. The waning of immunity due to the period of time that has passed since the second shot.
According to the data on emvolio.gov.gr, 66,982 (+ 249 on 16/11) have had the first shot in Corfu and 62,566 (+ 105 on 16/11) have had the second shot. 6,164 (+ 374 on 16/11) have had the booster shot.
Probable stabilisation in December
Yiannis Alamanos said that the situation is expected to stabilise in December due to an increase in vaccinations - both first and booster shots. "With an increase in the number of people getting vaccinated and observing the protective measures, it is probable that the situation will stabilise in December. However, this is a period in which viruses spread more easily and we need to keep a close watch on developments as there has been a spike in Corfu from the end of October and beginning of November," he said and called on people to get vaccinated and adhere to the measures, especially indoors.
Viral load
With regard to the tracing of the viral load in urban sewage from the town (8-14/11), according to the EODY report published on 16/11, there is no systematic measurement to indicate an increase or decrease. The report said, "It was not possible to assess the change due to the fact that previous measurements had not been recorded."
Yiannis Alamanos said that the monthly report from Corfu Covid Watch provides useful data as it records the development of the pandemic by observing specific indicators (e.g. positivity rate, age spread etc.).
39 Covid patients at Corfu Hospital
According to hospital sources, a total of 39 Covid patients were hospitalised at Corfu Hospital yesterday (17/11 at 13:40) - 25 in the Special Infectious Diseases Unit, 12 in the Pulmonary Clinic and 2 in the ICU - a 52-year-old man and an 82-year-old woman.
It was expected that some patients would be discharged yesterday.
It should be noted that the majority of patients are unvaccinated.
In just the first two weeks of November there were 8 deaths in Corfu, compared to four for the whole of the previous, according to epidemiologist Yiannis Alamanos, head of Corfu Covid Watch.
He said that there were 4 deaths in August of Corfu Hospital patients in either the Special Infectious Diseases Unit or the ICU, 4 in September and 4 in October.
The hospital is under pressure due to the increased number of Covid patients. According to hospital sources, there were 39 yesterday, 17 November.
Record number of cases
Yiannis Alamanos told Enimerosi that the number of cases in Corfu is unprecedented. There were 1,337 new infections during the period 1-16 November, with a daily average of 83 and on 16 November the number of new cases was in three digits for the first time - 139! "The number of cases in Corfu Town is unprecedented," he said. "We have also observed a spread to other areas in the Central Corfu Municipality and a gradual spread throughout the island, leading to more cases, hospital admissions and deaths."
Reasons
According to Yiannis Alamanos, there are four reasons for the increase:
1. The prevalence of the Delta variant, which has greater transmissibility, during the summer.
2. The lifting of some measures and the non-observance of mandatory measures (masks, distancing) especially at places of work.
3. The vaccination rate amongst older people (1 in 4 or 5 of those over 60 are unvaccinated leading to hospital admissions from that age group.
4. The waning of immunity due to the period of time that has passed since the second shot.
According to the data on emvolio.gov.gr, 66,982 (+ 249 on 16/11) have had the first shot in Corfu and 62,566 (+ 105 on 16/11) have had the second shot. 6,164 (+ 374 on 16/11) have had the booster shot.
Probable stabilisation in December
Yiannis Alamanos said that the situation is expected to stabilise in December due to an increase in vaccinations - both first and booster shots. "With an increase in the number of people getting vaccinated and observing the protective measures, it is probable that the situation will stabilise in December. However, this is a period in which viruses spread more easily and we need to keep a close watch on developments as there has been a spike in Corfu from the end of October and beginning of November," he said and called on people to get vaccinated and adhere to the measures, especially indoors.
Viral load
With regard to the tracing of the viral load in urban sewage from the town (8-14/11), according to the EODY report published on 16/11, there is no systematic measurement to indicate an increase or decrease. The report said, "It was not possible to assess the change due to the fact that previous measurements had not been recorded."
Yiannis Alamanos said that the monthly report from Corfu Covid Watch provides useful data as it records the development of the pandemic by observing specific indicators (e.g. positivity rate, age spread etc.).
39 Covid patients at Corfu Hospital
According to hospital sources, a total of 39 Covid patients were hospitalised at Corfu Hospital yesterday (17/11 at 13:40) - 25 in the Special Infectious Diseases Unit, 12 in the Pulmonary Clinic and 2 in the ICU - a 52-year-old man and an 82-year-old woman.
It was expected that some patients would be discharged yesterday.
It should be noted that the majority of patients are unvaccinated.
