Coronavirus: Forecasts of 30,000 daily cases in the summer

Greek health authorities are on alert, due to the rapid transmission of the coronavirus in the country. Cases and hospitalizations are on the rise, with scientists seeing the peak of the 6th pandemic wave in mid-July.

The number of cases, today, is expected to break the barrier of 20,000, while at the peak of the pandemic wave, the daily cases may reach 30,000.

The state mechanism is preparing the NHS for any eventuality, although, at the moment there is no pressure on ICUs. The Health Minister noted that if there is pressure on the system, measures will be considered.

Up to 22,000 cases today and ominous forecasts

For today, Tuesday, the models of the professor of Pulmonology, Nikos Tzanakis, “expect” 17,000 to 22,000 cases, while at the peak of the pandemic wave, cases may reach 30,000. The professor stressed that the upward trend will last about a month and the peak of the pandemic wave is expected after July 15.

Hospital admissions quadrupled

Mr. Tzanakis warned that there will be some pressure on simple hospital beds and deaths will increase, and as he noted “new hospital admissions have already quadrupled, from 80 to 250.”

He called on citizens to be responsible if they contract covid to declare it and not to go to social events even if they have a simple sneeze, as symptoms of the disease are difficult to discern..

As concerns the fourth dose, the professor urged those over 60 and those with underlying diseases to get the vaccine and those between 50 and 60 to think about it.

Dr. Maiorkinis warns

Along the same lines, epidemiologist Dr. Gikas Majorkinis, also foresaw that on Tuesday, cases in Greece may exceed 20,000. As he noted, occupied hospital beds remained at the level of 44%, while the number of intubated patients remained relatively stable, with a slight increase of 3%, which does not put significant pressure on ICUs.

Buttressing the NHS

However, the National Health System is being complemented mainly for precautionary reasons, since the continuous and sharp increase of cases lately, is expected to further affect hospitalizations. Thus, the Ministry of Health has been put on alert, as the seven-day moving average   in hospital admissions has been rising dangerously in recent days.

For this reason, according to iatropedia.gr, the registration of available staff has already begun in the major hospitals of the country and mainly in the hospitals of the capital, in which there have been recent transfers, departures and retirements.

At the same time, clinics are redistributing staff to ease the burden of rising Covid cases, while a plan is being prepared to strengthen the hospitals with staff in case this is required. What makes Covid-19 cases difficult to manage at this stage is the fact that hospitals are fully operational with non-Covid-19 cases (surgeries, other treatments). As authorities say, if the treatment of Covid-19 cases is dramatically extended to the NHS, it will again cause a serious problem.

Although some experts argue that masks should return to crowded places, it seems that no measures will be taken against the spread of coronavirus. As the Minister of Health Thanos Plevris noted there is an increase in simple hospitalizations. According to the minister, there will be some heavier hospitalizations, but at the moment it seems that the wave will be such that the National Health System will not be pressured. So according to the Minister, no action will need to be taken.