A small increase is recorded in the positivity of the SARS-CoV2 virus in the community, during the week of April 15-21, according to the epidemiological report of the EODY.
Community flu positivity still above 10% (seasonal threshold for the onset of influenza epidemic activity according to the ECDC) and is maintained at high levels for the season, with a prevalence of type B influenza.
Influenza-like illness – ILI (regardless of pathogen)
The number of influenza cases per 1,000 visits showed a decrease compared to the previous week.
Severe Acute Respiratory Infection – SARI (regardless of pathogen)
The number of SARI cases per 1,000 visits showed a slight increase compared to the previous week.
SARS-CoV2 virus – COVID-19 infection
THE positivity in all the tested samples showed a small increase compared to the previous week.
The number of new imports was 81. The average weekly number of imports in the previous 4 weeks was 82 and the number of imports in the corresponding week in 2023 was 813.
The number of new intubations was 2. The average weekly number of new intubations during the previous 4 weeks was 1, and the number of intubations in the corresponding week of 2023 was 17. The number of patients with COVID-19 infection who are intubated is 6.
6 deaths were recorded with a median age of 88.5 years (range 81-93 years). The number of deaths is the same as the average weekly number of deaths in the previous 4 weeks (n=6) and was lower than the number of deaths in the corresponding week in 2023 (n=47).
The most common sub-variant of BA.2 remains JN.1.
Viral load surveillance in municipal wastewater showed a drop in SARS-CoV-2 circulation in 4 of the 7 areas tested, an increase in 2, and a stabilization in 1.
Influenza virus
Influenza positivity in the community (sentinel network) is still above 10% (seasonal threshold for the initiation of epidemic influenza activity according to ECDC), without significant change compared to the previous week, and maintained at high levels for the season (predominance of type B influenza ).
The positivity of SARI samples remained at the same levels as last week and remains low. One new serious case with hospitalization in ICU was recorded, while no new death from laboratory-confirmed influenza was recorded.
A total of 141 people with laboratory-confirmed influenza have been hospitalized in the ICU since the beginning of influenza surveillance, and 68 deaths from laboratory-confirmed influenza have been recorded.
They have standardized 933 influenza strains (derived from community sentinel samples, from SARI surveillance samples and from hospital samples outside surveillance networks), of which 547 (59%) were type A and 386 (41%) type B.
The prevailing type is B both in the community (PHC Sentinel surveillance network) as well as in hospitals (SARI surveillance network). In total, 529 A-type strains have been subtyped in the two Influenza Reference Centers. 487 (92%) belonged to the A(H1)pdm09 subtype and 42 (8%) to the A(H3) subtype.
Respiratory syncytial virus – RSV
H RSV positivity remained low in both the community (PHC Sentinel surveillance network) and hospitals (SARI surveillance network).
