It could have been a script for a horror movie: A new unknown virus from faraway China is spreading death and spreading rapidly from person to person.

It has already reached neighboring Italy and the images from the city of Bergamo are tragic.

On February 26, 2020, the first case of covid-19 was recorded in Greece as well – “patient 0”, who was hospitalized together with her minor son, who had also tested positive for the virus.

The majority of cases in the first few days were linked to people who had traveled to Italy, a major epicenter, and to a group of pilgrims who had traveled to Israel and Egypt, as well as contacts of those people.

On March 12, the ninth case, a 66-year-old man, was the first to succumb to the disease in the early hours of the morning.

The first quarantine

Scientific data is scarce. Fear of the unknown virus prevails and scientists are proposing difficult measures to protect the population.

Within March, due to the emergence of cases of the virus in various regions of the country, it was decided to close all educational structures nationwide and gradually restaurants, shops and places of worship.

From March 16, daily television updates were established by the Ministry of Health regarding the evolution of the pandemic in Greece.

Since March 23, significant restrictions have been imposed on the movement and movement of citizens throughout the territory, with specific exceptions.

V. Kontozamanis: “We experienced the “perfect storm””

Four years later, APE-MPE looks back on the events of that period. He talks to one of the protagonists, Vassilis Kontozamanis, currently advisor to the prime minister on health issues, deputy minister of health during the disputed period. Every afternoon, together with the scientists, he “entered” our homes to inform us about the strength of the health system and the measures the ministry was taking to protect citizens.

“The pandemic was an unprecedented condition that swept our lives. Nothing was normal. Four years later, I can say that we experienced the “perfect storm”, says Mr. Kontozamanis to APE-MBE. He talks about the difficult decisions that had to be made and as he says “the priority was the person”.

He refers to the National Health System that “endured” and lifted the burden of the covid-19 infection, noting that “the pandemic highlighted the need for targeted and holistic policies in the field of Health…”. As he says “it acted as the restart button that the NHS needed”.

Regarding the lessons he gave us at the level of cooperation with the EU, Mr. Kontozamanis emphasizes: “I experienced everything from the inside. If the EU did not act collectively, the vaccination program would not be what we know it to be.”

Today, as a member of the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), Mr. Kontozamanis works at a pan-European level, so that the lessons of the pandemic “can be effectively transformed into a “pilot” in the event of a new pandemic crisis”.