Corfu Covid Watch: Record number of deaths in December 2021
coronavirus
04 Jan 2022
/ 17:06
CORFU. The latest update from Corfu Covid Watch for the period until 31 December 2021.
The Central Corfu Covid Watch Committee is continuing to monitor developments on a local level:
There has been an unprecedented outbreak of the epidemic in Corfu, as well as in the whole country. Following a brief and short-lived stabilisation in early December, the number of new confirmed Covid cases has started to increase again, at an accelerating pace.
Hospitalisations, which had shown a relative decline in mid-December, as a result of the temporary stabilisation of the pandemic in the previous period, have increased again.
The high spread of the virus in the last two months has resulted in more serious cases and deaths. In Corfu, December was the month with the highest number of deaths of Covid patients since the beginning of the pandemic until today. The outbreak of the pandemic, which in November was mainly found in Corfu Town and the surrounding areas, is now widespread throughout the island.
In November there were four times as many deaths of Covid patients as in the previous month, while in December they increased even more. Since the beginning of the pandemic until 31 December 2021, a total of 98 Covid-related deaths have been recorded among residents of Corfu, 4 deaths among visitors and 1 resident of Ioannina, who was hospitalised at the Corfu General Hospital.
The spread of the virus in the Corfu population is at particularly high levels and is constantly increasing. This increase is also evident from the high viral load in urban wastewater in Corfu.
It is not clear yet to what extent the new outbreak in Corfu is caused by the Delta variant and to what extent by the new Omicron variant.
The new wave of the pandemic is expected to be intensified with the dominance of the highly contagious Omicron variant. Although the new variant does not seem to make people seriously ill, severe cases and deaths will inevitably continue to be recorded as the Omicron variant gradually spreads from younger to older people. The high concentration of cases in a short period of time is expected to have a negative impact on economic, social and educational activities, and to put significant new pressure on the health system.
Participation in the vaccination programme has increased a lot recently, since there are both people who have already been vaccinated and are now receiving the booster shot and people who are now deciding to be vaccinated for the first time. First scientific data on the Omicron variant suggest that the third booster shot is very important to protect older people.
However, the new wave of the pandemic is coming at a time when only one third of the Corfu population has received the third shot.
It should also be noted that the new wave of the pandemic appeared without the previous wave, which was at its peak in November, having been tamed. Thus, the spread of the virus was still high and the health system remained under pressure. The previous waves of the pandemic were quite far apart from each other, the spread of the virus was reduced and the cases and hospitalisations were also reduced.
Adherence to the protective measures and participation in the vaccination programme remain the key means to limit the new major outbreak. The use of mask and avoidance of crowding can significantly reduce the spread of the virus.
At the same time, increasing vaccinations and administering the third shot to those who have completed three months since the initial vaccination, is the most important means of protection against the new highly contagious Omicron variant.
An analytical report of the Covid-19 epidemiological situation in Corfu has been posted on the Municipality website.
There has been an unprecedented outbreak of the epidemic in Corfu, as well as in the whole country. Following a brief and short-lived stabilisation in early December, the number of new confirmed Covid cases has started to increase again, at an accelerating pace.
Hospitalisations, which had shown a relative decline in mid-December, as a result of the temporary stabilisation of the pandemic in the previous period, have increased again.
The high spread of the virus in the last two months has resulted in more serious cases and deaths. In Corfu, December was the month with the highest number of deaths of Covid patients since the beginning of the pandemic until today. The outbreak of the pandemic, which in November was mainly found in Corfu Town and the surrounding areas, is now widespread throughout the island.
In November there were four times as many deaths of Covid patients as in the previous month, while in December they increased even more. Since the beginning of the pandemic until 31 December 2021, a total of 98 Covid-related deaths have been recorded among residents of Corfu, 4 deaths among visitors and 1 resident of Ioannina, who was hospitalised at the Corfu General Hospital.
The spread of the virus in the Corfu population is at particularly high levels and is constantly increasing. This increase is also evident from the high viral load in urban wastewater in Corfu.
It is not clear yet to what extent the new outbreak in Corfu is caused by the Delta variant and to what extent by the new Omicron variant.
The new wave of the pandemic is expected to be intensified with the dominance of the highly contagious Omicron variant. Although the new variant does not seem to make people seriously ill, severe cases and deaths will inevitably continue to be recorded as the Omicron variant gradually spreads from younger to older people. The high concentration of cases in a short period of time is expected to have a negative impact on economic, social and educational activities, and to put significant new pressure on the health system.
Participation in the vaccination programme has increased a lot recently, since there are both people who have already been vaccinated and are now receiving the booster shot and people who are now deciding to be vaccinated for the first time. First scientific data on the Omicron variant suggest that the third booster shot is very important to protect older people.
However, the new wave of the pandemic is coming at a time when only one third of the Corfu population has received the third shot.
It should also be noted that the new wave of the pandemic appeared without the previous wave, which was at its peak in November, having been tamed. Thus, the spread of the virus was still high and the health system remained under pressure. The previous waves of the pandemic were quite far apart from each other, the spread of the virus was reduced and the cases and hospitalisations were also reduced.
Adherence to the protective measures and participation in the vaccination programme remain the key means to limit the new major outbreak. The use of mask and avoidance of crowding can significantly reduce the spread of the virus.
At the same time, increasing vaccinations and administering the third shot to those who have completed three months since the initial vaccination, is the most important means of protection against the new highly contagious Omicron variant.
An analytical report of the Covid-19 epidemiological situation in Corfu has been posted on the Municipality website.
