Influenza A now dominates Cyprus’s seasonal illness landscape, with transmission highly elevated among the population and the number of people showing severe symptoms requiring hospitalisation rising daily.
COVID-19 remains at stable levels, whilst respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) shows low activity this year, according to health authorities.
Hospitals are operating with ward occupancy approaching 90%, though State Health Services Organisation spokesman Charalambos Charillaou told philenews, “This doesn’t concern us because we’ve prepared ourselves to be in a position to serve all patients who will need our help”.
During the holiday period, Charillaou said, accident and emergency departments saw increased patient attendance, with cases falling into two categories: usual cases involving heart attacks, strokes, injuries and similar incidents, and cases involving seasonal infections, primarily influenza A, which appears to dominate.
Those admitted for hospitalisation due to flu are mainly elderly people who develop severe symptoms whilst at home, he explained.
“We have an increase in cases, and we will continue to have them in the coming weeks. Flu peaks in mid-January, and the elevated numbers may continue to be recorded until even March. As such, this is something we expected, and we are certainly in full readiness for any eventuality,” Charillaou said.
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