Health experts said on Friday that the number of new admissions to hospitals for COVID-19 continues to drop for the fourth week in a row, but cautioned that regional spikes may occur in the near future as a result of Orthodox Easter get-togethers.
Speaking at the regular live briefing, childhood infectious diseases professor Vana Papaevangelou said that it was urgent “to try and be vaccinated before more dangerous variations of the virus show up.”
She added that most new infections concerned people aged 20-60.
Currently there are 4,900 patients in hospitals, with 82% of ICUs occupied nationally, a fourth of which belong to the 35-55 age group, she noted.
Infectious diseases professor Gkikas Magiorkinis, who like Papaevangelou is a member of the Health Ministry’s experts committee on COVID-19, said at the briefing that ICU admissions dropped by 6% this past week.
Speaking of vaccination effectiveness, he said that people over 65 years of age have a 10 to 20% chance of dying of COVID-19 if they become infected, but this possibility drops at least 20-fold if they have been vaccinated.
It is nearly impossible for young people who are vaccinated to become seriously ill, he noted.
READ MORE: Health Minister Kikilias: We aim to vaccinate the entire adult population by July.
