Four more people have died from influenza since Friday, bringing Cyprus’s death toll this season to 12.
Internal medicine and pulmonology wards are overflowing. Patients fill intensive care and high dependency units whilst A&E fast-track clinics handle surging attendance. Personal doctors see dozens of cases daily.
The Health Ministry announced seven deaths last Friday. By yesterday, five more people had died, four of them over the weekend, deputy director general Elisavet Constantinou said.
Across Europe, flu activity remains high. Influenza A(H3N2) – the “K” strain – dominates, followed by A(H1N1), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said yesterday. Admissions remain elevated despite an overall drop in hospitalisations, particularly amongst over-65s.
Unusually cold weather has driven people indoors where poor ventilation accelerates transmission, State Health Services Organisation spokesperson Charalambos Charillaou said. He urged anyone with symptoms to isolate and avoid contact.
Elderly patients stay in hospital longer because of other health problems, raising the risk of complications, Charillaou said. Deaths occur every year, mainly amongst the elderly, but vulnerable groups still need protection.
Most hospitalised patients are elderly with multiple health conditions, making serious complications more likely, Constantinou said. The ministry is pushing vaccination and protective measures, urging vulnerable people and the sick to limit contact.
Flu continues to dominate in GP surgeries, said Mary Avraamidou, president of the scientific society of personal and family doctors. Coronavirus cases are dropping and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) numbers remain minimal.
The elderly with chronic conditions account for most deaths and hospitalisations after developing complications, Avraamidou said.
She warned that negative first tests don’t rule out flu – some patients only test positive a day later – and urged anyone with symptoms to stay home.