Coronavirus: two new cases, ‘particularly optimistic’ picture, experts say (Updated)

Two new cases of Covid-19 were announced on Thursday, bringing the total in the south to 941 since March 9 when the first infection was reported.

Both cases were detected among 60 people tested for having had contact with a previously known carrier.

Overall, 2,602 lab tests were carried out from ongoing testing among retail workers, construction workers and schools.

A day earlier, on Wednesday, no new cases had been detected.

Announcing the results, professor of molecular virology Leontios Kostrikkis said the data formed “a particularly optimistic picture.

“It is clear that the sources of the virus are limited to levels that allow us to implement even more confidently the plans for a gradual lifting of the restrictions.”

But he reiterated that the good results should not allow complacency to creep in.

For his part Dr Marios Loizou, also a member of the team of scientists advising the government, said four patients were still being treated for the virus at Famagusta General, the reference hospital. One of the patients there is in the high-dependency unit.

Also, three patients are intubated at the Nicosia General intensive care unit.

A female patient at Nicosia General, the first ever in Cyprus to have been treated with Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (Ecmo), had exited the ICU two days earlier and was in a good condition.

Meantime according to the latest weekly epidemiological bulletin, covering data until May 26, 24 people with Covid-19 have died, but the virus was the underlying cause of death for 17, for a case fatality rate of 1.8 per cent.

The median age of all infected persons was 45 years.

Locally acquired infections (index cases and close-contacts of confirmed cases) occurred in 82.9 per cent of the cases, of which 8.7 per cent were related to a healthcare facility.

 

Information on comorbidities was available for 830 (88.4 per cent) cases. Of these, 338 (40.7 per cent) reported at least one comorbidity.

In total, 18.7 per cent of people with Covid-19 received hospital care. The median age of hospitalized patients was 62 years.

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