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People heading to Greece for summer holidays have been warned about a sudden rise in coronavirus cases linked to the new FLiRT variant.
The increase has been reported by Mediterranean countries over the past 20 days.
Greece’s National Public Health Organisation (EODY) said in its latest report that the number of hospitalised patients is increasing, with 669 new coronavirus patients admitted between 8 and 14 July 2024. The report added that this is a 44% increase compared to the weekly average number of new hospitalisations over the past four weeks.
A total of 26 coronavirus deaths have been recorded.
Greece has recently been hit by a heatwave, forcing many vulnerable people to avoid the heat indoors.
A police officer gives water to a member of the presidential guard in front of the Monument to the Unknown Soldier in Syntagma Square in Athens on July 12, 2024 (AFP via Getty Images)
Last week, Metaxa Oncology Hospital in the Athens port district of Piraeus reintroduced mask-wearing and other protective measures in its wards.
Visitors are limited to two per patient, and visitors are required to get a rapid test within 48 hours.
Hospital director Sarantos Efstathopoulos announced the measures to protect patients, adding that they would be reassessed on July 29.
A woman checks out candles in a store in Athens, Greece. (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
“It’s summer, we’re on holiday, we’re not saying the coronavirus is gone. The truth is that this year compared to last year there is no connection between the number of cases and the coronavirus. There are too many cases, too many hospitalisations and deaths. 21-22 deaths are too many,” EINAP president Matina Pagoni told Greek television station MEGA.
The city of Thessaloniki has seen an increase in cases reported through sewage tests, according to Euronews.
Bulgaria, which shares a border with Greece, has issued a warning to all its residents visiting the country this summer. Commenting on the number of cases in Greece, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry added: “In this regard, and taking into account the high number of Bulgarian nationals visiting the country in the summer, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends strict adherence to preventive and sanitary measures regarding the spread of the disease.”
The Athens Piraeus Hospital Physicians Union (EINAP) has warned that the coronavirus outbreak is expected to continue until the end of July.
Microscopic, realistic 3D model of coronavirus COVID-19 (Getty Images)
British health experts have suggested that FLiRT and LB.1 may be able to evade immunity, which is why vaccinated people can still get sick.
“Increased travel and large events such as festivals often lead to crowded environments where the virus can spread more easily and where legal restrictions such as wearing masks and social distancing are no longer in place,” says Dr Maryam Malik, who works for the NHS and is in private practice at Pall Mall Medical.
“The FLiRT variant has certain changes in the spike protein that may allow it to spread more easily and evade immunity from past infection or vaccines,” Dr. Malik added. “Similarly, the LB.1 variant has mutations that may aid in spread and weaken the protection offered from past immunity, making these variants different from previous viruses.”
“Viruses naturally change over time, which is why new variants arise,” the GP added. “When many people are infected, it gives the virus more opportunity to mutate. Also, immune responses from previous infections or vaccines can encourage the virus to evolve.”
Symptoms of the FLiRT and LB.1 variants are generally similar to those of previous COVID-19 strains. Common symptoms include fever, cough, fatigue, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, muscle or body aches, shortness of breath, headache, and runny nose.
Last week, the World Health Organization said COVID-19 was still killing about 1,700 people worldwide each week. The WHO encouraged people at high risk of infection to get vaccinated.
