Coronavirus: 36,018 infections in two weeks

Coronavirus infections in the community remain high, especially among younger people under 19, but there are signs the cumulative diagnosis rate appears to be edging down, the health ministry said on Friday.

According to its latest epidemiological report for the two weeks ending on February 14, 36,018 cases were diagnosed. The 14-day cumulative diagnosis rate is 4,056.1 per 100,000 population, it said. That’s down from just over 6,000 towards the end of December.

The seven-day moving average was 2,366 infections on February 14, down from close to 4,500 towards the end of December.

The median age was 31 years. Sex information was available for 30,145 (83.7 per cent) cases, of which 52 per cent were females (15,673), and 48 per cent males (14,472).

By place of exposure, information was available for 35,625 (98.9 per cent) cases, of which 1.9 per cent (674) were imported and 98.1 per cent (34,951) were locally acquired.

As of February 16, 196 people were still hospitalised (currently notified and among those diagnosed till February 14 including those discharged/who died on February 16).

The median age of patients still hospitalised due to Covid-19 is 70 years. The ministry said 55.8 per cent (82 out of 147 with available information) are males, and 40.2 per cent (53 out of 132 with information on district) are from Nicosia district. Twenty-nine cases (19.3 per cent) still hospitalised have comorbidities (out of 150).

As February 16, of 32 cases in intensive care units (ICU), 28 (87.5 per cent) are intubated. The median age of current ICU patients is 69 years and 15 (55.6 per cent) are males (out of 27 cases with available information). Nine (31 per cent) ICU patients have comorbidities (out of 29 with available information).

Over the last 14 days, 94,242 PCR and 1,372,237 rapid antigen tests have been performed (10,612.8 PCR and 154,531.2 rapid antigen tests per 100,000 population).

In total, there have been 3,154,067 PCR tests and 21,433,408 rapid tests.