The positivity of SARS-CoV2 in the community remains at the same levels as last week, while new hospital admissions, intubations and deaths from covid-19 infection are decreasing.

On the contrary, the positivity for influenza in the community showed an increase and remains above 10% (seasonal threshold for the start of epidemic activity of influenza according to the ECDC), according to the epidemiological report of the EODY for the period 1-7 April.

Influenza-like illness – ILI (regardless of pathogen)

The number of influenza cases per 1,000 visits, after a temporary increase last week, this week showed a decrease.

Severe Acute Respiratory Infection – SARI (regardless of pathogen)

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

SARS-CoV2 virus – COVID-19 infection

The positivity in all tested samples remained at the same levels.

The number of admissions (n=77) showed a decrease compared to the average weekly number of admissions in the previous 4 weeks (n=113) and was lower than the number of admissions in the corresponding week of 2023 (n=666).

No new intubation was recorded. The average weekly number of new intubations during the previous 4 weeks was 2, and the number of intubations in the corresponding week of 2023 was 22. The number of patients with COVID-19 infection hospitalized with intubation is 8.

There were 5 deaths with a median age of 81 years (range 73-92 years). The number of deaths showed a decrease compared to the average weekly number of deaths in the previous 4 weeks (n=10) and was lower than the number of deaths in the corresponding week in 2023 (n=49).

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

Viral load surveillance in municipal wastewater showed an increase in SARS-CoV-2 virus circulation in 4 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 an increase compared to the previous week.

The positivity of SARI samples also showed an increase compared to the previous week.

No new serious case with ICU hospitalization was recorded, while one new death from laboratory-confirmed influenza was recorded.

A total of 136 people with laboratory-confirmed influenza have been hospitalized in the ICU since the start of influenza surveillance, and 68 deaths from laboratory-confirmed influenza have been recorded.

836 influenza strains (derived from community sentinel samples, from SARI surveillance samples and from hospital samples outside surveillance networks) have been typed, of which 545 (65%) were type A and 291 (35%) were type B. As of week 10 and then the predominant type is B both in the community (Sentinel PHY surveillance network) and in hospitals (SARI surveillance network).

In total, 525 A-type strains have been subtyped in the two Influenza Reference Centers. 485 (92%) belonged to the A(H1)pdm09 subtype and 40 (8%) to the A(H3) subtype.

Respiratory syncytial virus – RSV

RSV positivity remained low both in the community (PHC Sentinel surveillance network) and in hospitals (SARI surveillance network).