EODY published today the new weekly report (May 15 – May 21, 2023) of the epidemiological surveillance of Respiratory Infections, in which 54 deaths from coronavirus were recorded with a median age of 85 years and none from influenza.

At the same time, those intubated with coronavirus are 53. The cases of the “Arcturos” mutation of the coronavirus are 46.

EODY also points out that although no deaths from influenza were recorded, infections increased without the need for hospitalization in an ICU.

In summary the week of May 15 to May 21, 2023:

Influenza syndromes (regardless of pathogen)

* A decrease compared to the previous week was recorded in the community SARS-CoV2 virus – COVID-19 infection.

* The positivity in all tested samples showed a slight increase compared to the previous week.

* The number of admissions for COVID-19 showed an increase compared to the previous week, while it showed a decrease of 7% compared to the average weekly number of new admissions over the previous 4 weeks

* The number of new intubations showed a decrease compared to the previous week and a 22% decrease compared to the average weekly number of new intubations over the previous 4 weeks

* The number of intubated patients with COVID-19 infection is 53.

* 52 deaths were recorded with a median age of 85 years (range 63-106 years).

* In recent weeks all sequenced strains belonged to Omicron’s BA.2 and BA.5 sub-variants, with BA.2 predominating from week 9 onwards.

* At week 17 the most frequent BA.2 sub-variant was XBB.1.5 (95%)

* A total of 46 samples have been detected positive for the new variant under observation, XBB.1.16.

* Viral load surveillance in municipal wastewater showed an increase in SARSCoV-2 virus circulation in 3 out of 10 areas tested

Influenza virus

* Influenza positivity in the community showed an increase in sentinel samples.

* No new severe case of laboratory-confirmed influenza with ICU hospitalization in week 20/2023, nor new death from laboratory-confirmed influenza.

* From week 40/2022 to week 20/2023, 68 people with flu were hospitalized in ICU and 26 deaths were recorded.

* In the same period, 369 samples positive for influenza viruses (sentinel samples and hospital samples) were recorded in the two influenza reference centers, of which 289 (78%) were type A strains and 80 (22%) were type B strains.

* Of the 286 type A strains subtyped, 258 (90%) were classified into subtype A(H3N2) and 28 (10%) into subtype A(H1N1)pdm09.

* During the last weeks, there has been a prevalence of the influenza type B virus.

Respiratory syncytial virus – RSV

* All samples tested were negative for RSV.