The reduction of all SARS-CoV2 indicators continues, while the positivity of influenza despite the reduction remains above 10% (seasonal threshold for the start of epidemic activity of influenza according to ECDC), according to the epidemiological report of EODY for the period 18-24 Of March.

Particularly:

Influenza-like illness – ILI (regardless of pathogen)

The number of influenza cases per 1,000 visits showed a decrease compared to the previous week.

Severe Acute Respiratory Infection – SARI (regardless of pathogen)

The number of SARI cases per 1,000 visits showed an increase compared to the previous week.

SARS-CoV2 virus – COVID-19 infection

The positivity in all tested samples showed a decrease compared to the previous week.

The number of admissions (n=104) showed a 46% decrease compared to the average weekly number of admissions in the previous 4 weeks (n=194) and was lower than the number of admissions in the corresponding week of 2023 (n=691).

The number of new intubations (n=1) showed a decrease compared to the average weekly number of new intubations over the previous 4 weeks (n=4) and was lower than the number of intubations in the corresponding week of 2023 (n=17). The number of intubated patients with COVID-19 infection is 13.

There were 4 deaths with a median age of 92.5 years (range 86-96 years). The number of deaths showed a decrease compared to the average weekly number of deaths in the previous 4 weeks (n=14) and was lower than the number of deaths in the corresponding week in 2023 (n=66).

The most common sub-variant of BA.2 remains JN.1.

Viral load surveillance in municipal wastewater showed a reduction in SARS-CoV-2 virus circulation in 7 of the 8 areas tested.

Influenza virus

Influenza positivity in the community (sentinel network) remains above 10% (seasonal threshold for initiation of epidemic influenza activity according to ECDC) and showed a decrease compared to the previous week.

The positivity of SARI samples showed a slight increase compared to the previous week.

One new serious case with ICU hospitalization and one new death from laboratory-confirmed influenza were recorded.

A total of 134 people with laboratory-confirmed influenza have been hospitalized in the ICU since the beginning of influenza surveillance, and 66 deaths from laboratory-confirmed influenza have been recorded.

724 influenza strains (derived from community sentinel samples, from SARI surveillance samples and from hospital samples outside surveillance networks) were typed, of which 539 (75%) were type A and 182 (25%) were type B.

In total, 520 A-type strains have been subtyped in the two Influenza Reference Centers. 481 (92.5%) belonged to the A(H1)pdm09 subtype and 39 (7.5%) to the A(H3) subtype.

Respiratory syncytial virus – RSV

RSV positivity remains low in the community (Sentinel PHY network), and in hospitals (SARI surveillance network).