Coronavirus – Pandemic hits young people – Measures and concern over flu

The five deaths of people under the age of 30, combined with the dangerous fluctuations in the number of those intubated and the advent of the seasonal flu virus, are an explosive mix that has alarmed experts.

Deputy Health Minister Mina Gaga has made a dramatic appeal to everyone to get vaccinated as it is now becoming clear that a significant portion of the population who have not been vaccinated is under the age of 30.

The 115

In fact, the last three deaths of young people occurred within a week and as it became known, none of them had been vaccinated. It is a fact that since the beginning of the pandemic the virus has caused the death of 115 people aged 18-35 years, but once the Delta mutation became the dominant strain of the virus, the risk for young people became much greater.

Now the data have changed as it seems that the current variant is more contagious than the previous ones and the part of the population that remains unvaccinated, remains especially large. The victims no longer belong only to the category of vulnerable groups, with the so-called underlying diseases, but also to the category of young and healthy people, who have not been vaccinated with a vaccine, but also fully vaccinated people.

Concern about the flu

Of the intubated in the ICU, more than 13% at the beginning of the week were fully vaccinated patients. The number of intubated people has stopped shrinking, on Saturday it climbed to 360 and now the concern is widespread about what will happen if the flu reaches this year.

Here the situation becomes complicated because there are many questions that scientists internationally can not answer. The combined action of the flu virus and the coronavirus can be devastating and lead to death. Experts know that, contrary to popular belief, the human body can be infected with two viruses at the same time. In other words, the belief that when the body tries to neutralize a virus by releasing substances like interferon  it is shielded from a second attack is not valid.

In a quagmire

Given that the rate of coronavirus vaccination has slowed down, scientists are also calling for a flu vaccination, which should be completed by November. At the same time, as autumn now seems to have given way to winter, with food service, entertainment and recreation taking place in more and more indoor spaces, scientists are considering response measures in case the situation starts to get out of hand, a scenario that does not seem at all unlikely.

Different measures

Reports say that since no one wants to suggest measures such as curfews and closure of stores in areas burdened by the viral load, solutions of mild cost and maximum effect such as the use of a mask everywhere or the use of a double mask in public transport are being considered.

The change that has taken place in recent times, causes concern to experts who see an increase in hospitalizations due to coronavirus in Northern Greece but also a low rate of vaccinations. It is typical that there are hospitals in which the admissions of patients exceed the discharges.

In a worse situation

On Friday, three intubations and 34 admissions of patients were performed at the Hippocratic Hospital of Thessaloniki, a number that is large according to the scientists. At the same time, in Larissa, which is still in the “red”, the health authorities are calling for vaccination, as the number of hospitalizations has increased.

The general secretary of the Medical Association of Larissa, Vassilis Pinakas, spoke of a “worrying increase in new infections”. “In the previous waves, patients were walking, now most patients are bedridden,” said the president of EKAB Thessaly Employees, Giannis Goulas.

Warning for a double evil

Charalambos Gogos, Professor of Pathology at the University of Patras, also spoke about the explosive cocktail of flu and coronavirus, emphasizing that if someone gets sick from both viruses, the chances of a “bad outcome” double.

“The epidemiological pressure from the coronavirus remains significant and if the flu is added to it, obviously the morbidity will increase. At the same time, there is a risk of someone getting sick from both diseases and in this case the probability that the patient has a bad outcome, almost doubles “, he stated characteristically speaking to SKAI TV.

In this context, he stated that people should be vaccinated for both the influenza virus and the coronavirus to prevent the two epidemics from coexisting.

“Last year we avoided this because people were vaccinated against the flu and we had the best vaccination coverage. “If we add the precaution that existed with the masks, we managed to almost eradicate the flu,” he concluded.

More common colds and flu this year

The statements of the professor of Pulmonology, Theodoros Vasilakopoulos, are on the same wavelength, who stressed that this year we will have more colds and flu.

Speaking to MEGA TV, he stressed that this year there will be more common colds and flu because many people took off their masks.

“Last year, 4 million people were vaccinated against the flu. “Let’s set a good example this year as well,” he said, explaining that the average immunity of the population fell because there was no flu last year.

Theodoridou: Vaccination is the only solution

Special mention of the flu virus was made by Professor Maria Theodoridou.

As she stated, the flu is “knocking on the door” of our country gradually for this year, so there is great concern among experts who see vaccination as the only solution.

Seasonal flu outbreak is coming

A resurgence of the flu – and on a large scale – is seen for this winter, and American scientists, who do not rule out that in the coming years there will be seasonal outbreaks of the flu, precisely because during the pandemic the flu almost disappeared.

Researchers from the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University in New York, who published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, have developed a model that considers a massive outbreak of influenza due to pre-existing relaxation of the measures as quite possible. in public places.

That is why, as lead researcher Assistant Professor of Environmental Health Sen Pei said, “this year it is more important than ever to get the flu vaccine. “While it is right to focus on protecting oneself from Covid-19, one must not forget the flu, which can also be fatal.”