The fullness of the Famagusta General Hospital, which operates as a Reference Hospital, reached 93%, Amalia Hatzigianni, Scientific Director of the Larnaca-Famagusta Hospitals, told KYPE.
He added that "currently 42 patients are being treated at the Reference Hospital, 7 of which are in the Intensive Care Unit, as they need closer monitoring. The youngest patient with coronavirus is 22 years old and the oldest is 97, both without a history of vaccination ".
He also noted that "the average age of patients admitted to the Referral Hospital is 66 years, while 80% of patients are not vaccinated. At the moment, there is no hospitalization of a patient in the Hospital with the Homicron mutation, since in all the admissions, a molecular test is performed ".
Today, 15 patients are being treated at Larnaca Hospital, while the Eden Rehabilitation Center in Tersefanou is hosting 72 people who will remain until their complete negativity.
He said that "most patients with coronavirus are hospitalized in the Referral Hospital", noting that "unfortunately some cases, regardless of age, present with severe symptoms and most of the time can end up in the Intensive Care Unit, while some patients end up in intubation and Intensive Care ".
In recent days, he continued "almost every day an average of 1-2 people are intubated. The intubation is usually done on the 6th - 7th day, but before this is done, efforts are made by the medical and paramedical staff, with medication and physiotherapy, so that the patients can be helped and their transfer to the MAF can be avoided ".
Answering a relevant question, he stated that "certain days are given to sick patients to maintain good oxygenation, with non-invasive ventilation methods. However, when respiratory physiotherapy, medication and non-invasive ventilation do not work effectively and the patient's oxygenation is low, then the only way out is intubation.
According to Ms. Hatzigianni "20% of patients do not inform their personal doctor in time about the symptoms they have, they consider that they will spend them painlessly at home, as a result of which their admission to the Hospital for treatment is delayed. We ask people when they have symptoms, to immediately inform their personal doctor who will guide them, in order to start treatment as soon as possible to avoid the worst, which is intubation ".
He also said that "in case patients have any problems with their personal doctor, then they should visit the First Aid Department of Hospitals, where they will be given the necessary medication. However, many people who are ill, consider that they can pass "painlessly" at home the symptoms they present, assuming that they have them are mild, as a result of which they are late to ask for help from the Hospital ".
In another question, Ms. Hatzigianni replied that "about 20% of patients are the ones who have the highest chances of being intubated, because the disease has now progressed and the imaging findings are very serious. In fact, the treatment for these people may not be enough to make their condition reversible. "
Regarding the patients who are hospitalized in the Reference Hospital and are vaccinated, he said that "to date, no person who has been vaccinated with the 3rd dose has been treated. "Some people have taken the 2nd dose a long time ago and their immunity has passed, as a result of which they have to proceed with the recurrent 3rd dose, which seems to inactivate the Omicron mutation as well".
Ms. Hatzigianni noted that "people who have been vaccinated consider themselves protected and are complacent, as a result of which they somewhat neglect the protection measures, since they believe that their vaccination coverage is 100% and they will not get sick. "Everyone should continue to observe the protection measures, ie mask, antiseptic, distances and personal hygiene, so that even in case of illness, they are not serious and do not need to be hospitalized."
The Scientific Director of the Larnaca-Famagusta Hospitals also stated that "in the previous days we had several admissions of patients with coronavirus in the Referral Hospital, however with the increase of the beds there is a balance and we can now cope. There are several admissions to the Hospital, but at the same time they are discharged and this has the effect of having a balance at the disposal of the beds ".
Regarding the Intensive Care Unit of the Reference Hospital, he said that "only when the condition of the patients worsens they are transferred to the specific Unit, where a hard fight is given and all the margins with non-invasive methods are exhausted, in order to avoid their intubation".
For the vaccinations, Mrs. Hatzigianni stated that "the flow in the vaccination centers is increasing daily and we see that more and more people are rushing to do from the 1st dose until the repeated 3rd dose of the vaccine".
(KYPE / FZ / GBA)