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Authorities announce 19 new covid19 cases, declining trend encouraging

07/04/2020 09:11

Cyprus authorities announced 19 new covid19 cases on Monday, from a total of 718 lab tests.
The total of cases in Cyprus Republic is 465 (including ten in the British Sovereign Bases). A newborn at Makareio Hospital is included in today’s cases.

Professor Leontios Kostrikis, of the Advisory Body on the pandemic said that of the 19 cases, 9 are people traced back from already confirmed cases. The rest of the patients’ history is under investigation. He said that today’s numbers are encouraging and confirm that the restrictive measures are effective.

He said that seven of today’s cases were confirmed in two private hospitals in Nicosia and Larnaca.
Regarding the six cases reported in the previous days, whose history was under investigation, Dr Kostrikis said that a connection was traced back to an already confirmed case.

He added that the 465 cases were identified after a total of 11,664 laboratory tests were run by the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics and the Microbiology Department in public hospitals as well as private laboratories.

According to Dr Kostrikis, 332 out of 465 cases are from contacts in Cyprus. Moreover he said that 45 patients have recovered.

Regarding the samples from Aradippou Municipality, Professor Kostrikis said that in the previous days, four positive cases were announced out of a total of 216 tests while today 292 laboratory tests were performed, two of which came out positive. A total of 508 samples with six positive cases have been processed so far in Aradippou.

He said that the tests in Paphos, will be completed tomorrow and that so far, 96 laboratory tests have been performed and a positive one has been confirmed.
Dr Kostrikis said that the low number of cases in Aradippou allows us to be optimistic, pointing out however that when the tests are completed in Paphos, then we will have a better overall picture.

He thanked all citizens who follow the instructions and cooperate and asked them once again to keep up with the directives and be vigilant and persistent as there is no room for error.

Dr. Marios Loizou, the Scientific Director at the Nicosia Directorate of the Cyprus State Health Services Organisation, said that as of 1500 local time today, 29 people are hospitalized  at the Famagusta Reference Hospital and five of them are at the ICU. Eight patients were discharged and transferred to a quarantine center. He added that 11 patients are intubated, two of them at the ICU in Limassol General Hospital and nine in Nicosia General Hospital.

Their health condition is described as stable and good.

Dr. Loizou explained that as the number of cases increases worldwide, reaching 1.3 million infected and 70,000 deaths, the need for accurate and timely information is imperative. He said that researches and protocols are underway all over the world and tests are run for a new vaccine and targeted treatments.  According to Dr. Loizou, the treatment protocol applied in Cyprus has been proposed by the Scientific Advisory Committee and is based on the experience mainly in China, but also in Europe and the US.

He explained that when the case is asymptomatic or mild, no treatment is recommended but only a follow-up. In mild to moderate cases, the doctors prescribe azithromycin with or without hydroxychloroquine. When the case is moderate to severe doctors recommend the addition of Lopinavir and Ritonavir in the treatment. In acute cases they can also add redmesivir or tocilizumab. He also said that avigan is still tested clinically.

Dr. Loizou also pointed out  that according to the current international bibliography, the use of antivirals as a chemoprophylaxis is not recommended, although clinical trials have already begun with the use of drugs such as chloroquine and colchicine.

Currently the most widely used drugs are chloroquine / hydroxychloroquine.

He explained that these guidelines may change depending on the results of ongoing clinical trials and basic research studies as the pandemic is progressing. He pointed out that so far, there is no proven effective treatment for covid19 disease, nor do we have any adequate clinical data for the preference of one drug over another. Therefore, he concluded, our line of defense remains prevention and sufficient time for preparation and planning.