Coronavirus: Number of hospital admissions stabilising

The number of coronavirus patients being treated in hospital is stabilising and is expected to fall as a result of the lockdown, Okypy spokesman Charalambos Charilaou said on Thursday.

Using Paphos hospital as an example, Charilaou told the Cyprus News Agency that things are operating smoothly and beds are starting to free up to serve the needs of the district with no particular problems.

As of Wednesday night, 285 coronavirus patients were in hospital, 21 of whom are in Paphos hospital. According to Charilaou, if the need arises to treat more patients, this will be done in conjunction with opening another ward at Limassol hospital.

At the moment there are 39 Covid-19 patients in ICUs islandwide, 36 of whom are intubated. This increase is a natural consequence of the large increase in hospitalisations which saw patients moving from High Dependency Units to the ICU, Charilaou said, adding that despite this, the situation is manageable.

Charilaou also said that these hospitalisations preceded the lockdown. With the implementation of stricter measures, the positivity rate among the community is expected to fall, with hospitalisations following suit.

Another important element to consider is that the average age of positive cases has dropped to around 36, of which a very high percentage is under the age of 40, he added, explaining that Okypy does not expect a dramatic increase in hospital admissions.

On the occasion of the Easter holidays, Charilaou cautioned those self-isolating as positive cases not to wait until after the holidays to ask for help in case their condition deteriorates, to avoid further consequences on their health.

He instructed that in such cases, it is important to get in touch with a personal doctor or call the 1420 helpline so that they can be further examined to evaluate whether hospitalisation is necessary.

At the same time, the state nurses union (Pasyno) extended an optimistic message to health professionals, asking the public for cooperation and responsibility.

In a written announcement, Pasyno expressed “unlimited gratitude to each and every nurse, health visitor and midwife fighting great battles in public hospitals, exerting themselves to save human lives”.

For over a year now, health professionals have been “fighting, collectively and personally, to keep Covid-19 cases low despite adverse and stressful working conditions,” the announcement read.

“We are proud of you, of your bravery, patience and courage and we pray for better days”.

Pasyno also pleaded with the public to adhere to health and safety measures to protect health professionals, even if they are tired, “physically and mentally”.

“Without your responsible attitude, the battles will be lost,” Pasyno concluded.