Corfu Covid Watch: Unprecedented levels of transmission of the virus
COVID-19
03 Feb 2022
/ 17:06
CORFU. Following a relative stabilisation in mid-January, the number of recorded cases is again starting to increase to unprecedented levels.
According to the Central Corfu Covid Watch Committee, the spike in case in January 2022 was caused by the quick spread of the Omicron variant.
According to the Committee’s latest report, there was a great spike in Covid cases in Corfu, as in the whole of the country, and they reached unprecedented levels since the beginning of the pandemic. There was also a high number of hospitalisations, although they were at levels slightly lower than in December. At the same time, there was a significant number of deaths, which, thankfully, also did not reach the levels of December.
This development is attributed to the quick and high transmissibility of the new Omicron variant, while there was also a widespread transmission of the Delta variant, which had dominated since the end of the summer. Overall, in the last three months, the epidemic in Corfu has been very intense, with way more confirmed Covid cases, hospitalisations and deaths than in the previous waves of the epidemic.
Widespread transmission of the virus
There is a widespread transmission of the virus amongst Corfu population and it continues to increase. Although it is not clear to what extent the spike in cases is due to the Delta variant or the new Omicron variant, national and local data suggest a prevalence of the Omicron variant.
The number of confirmed cases recorded daily in Corfu is very high. Following a relative stabilisation in mid-January, the number of recorded cases is again starting to increase to unprecedented levels. The number of Covid patients at Corfu Hospital remains high, but does not show a similar increase. This confirms that the new Omicron variant is causing a very high number of cases, but only a small amount of these are serious cases that require hospitalisation or even admission to the ICU.
The subsidence of this wave of the epidemic is expected to be slow. Although the new variant does not usually cause serious illness, serious cases and deaths will inevitably continue to be recorded over the coming period. It is important to understand that the Omicron variant will continue to cause a significant number of serious cases, due to its high transmissibility.
Vaccinations
The vaccination programme has progressed a lot in the last three months, since there are both people who have been vaccinated and are now receiving the booster shot and people who are getting vaccinated for the first time. About three quarters of the Corfu population have been vaccinated and almost one in two citizens has received the booster shot.
The high rate of vaccination, combined with the milder symptoms of the Omicron variant, contributes significantly to the relative reduction of the pressure on Corfu Hospital and the deaths, despite the high number of cases.
The adherence to the protective measures and the participation in the vaccination programme are necessary in order to limit the new spike in the epidemic. In particular, the best way for those, who had completed their vaccination three months ago, to protect themselves from the virus is to receive the third booster shot, since it protects them from becoming seriously ill and hospitalised.
It is also very important for older age groups to get vaccinated, since it is estimated that there are still at least 2,000 people over 60 in Corfu, who have not been vaccinated.
The detailed Corfu Covid Watch Committee report can be found here.
According to the Committee’s latest report, there was a great spike in Covid cases in Corfu, as in the whole of the country, and they reached unprecedented levels since the beginning of the pandemic. There was also a high number of hospitalisations, although they were at levels slightly lower than in December. At the same time, there was a significant number of deaths, which, thankfully, also did not reach the levels of December.
This development is attributed to the quick and high transmissibility of the new Omicron variant, while there was also a widespread transmission of the Delta variant, which had dominated since the end of the summer. Overall, in the last three months, the epidemic in Corfu has been very intense, with way more confirmed Covid cases, hospitalisations and deaths than in the previous waves of the epidemic.
Widespread transmission of the virus
There is a widespread transmission of the virus amongst Corfu population and it continues to increase. Although it is not clear to what extent the spike in cases is due to the Delta variant or the new Omicron variant, national and local data suggest a prevalence of the Omicron variant.
The number of confirmed cases recorded daily in Corfu is very high. Following a relative stabilisation in mid-January, the number of recorded cases is again starting to increase to unprecedented levels. The number of Covid patients at Corfu Hospital remains high, but does not show a similar increase. This confirms that the new Omicron variant is causing a very high number of cases, but only a small amount of these are serious cases that require hospitalisation or even admission to the ICU.
The subsidence of this wave of the epidemic is expected to be slow. Although the new variant does not usually cause serious illness, serious cases and deaths will inevitably continue to be recorded over the coming period. It is important to understand that the Omicron variant will continue to cause a significant number of serious cases, due to its high transmissibility.
Vaccinations
The vaccination programme has progressed a lot in the last three months, since there are both people who have been vaccinated and are now receiving the booster shot and people who are getting vaccinated for the first time. About three quarters of the Corfu population have been vaccinated and almost one in two citizens has received the booster shot.
The high rate of vaccination, combined with the milder symptoms of the Omicron variant, contributes significantly to the relative reduction of the pressure on Corfu Hospital and the deaths, despite the high number of cases.
The adherence to the protective measures and the participation in the vaccination programme are necessary in order to limit the new spike in the epidemic. In particular, the best way for those, who had completed their vaccination three months ago, to protect themselves from the virus is to receive the third booster shot, since it protects them from becoming seriously ill and hospitalised.
It is also very important for older age groups to get vaccinated, since it is estimated that there are still at least 2,000 people over 60 in Corfu, who have not been vaccinated.
The detailed Corfu Covid Watch Committee report can be found here.
