Today has brought us bad tidings. The number of confirmed coronavirus patients has risen to 85, and the number of fatalities has increased to three. All three deceased are elderly men, Chief Medical Officer Cecília Müller said at the beginning of her press conference on Friday.

The deceased all suffered from different types of chronic diseases, meaning that they were all high-risk patients from the respect of coronavirus infection.

“In this context, I would like to repeatedly draw your attention to the fact that there are high-risk groups where infected patients react to this disease especially sensitively and severely. Therefore, let me stress one more time, I’m asking the elderly, those over the age of 65 to stay at home. They are at risk also simply by virtue of their age, not even mentioning if they additionally suffer from some chronic disease,” the Chief Medical Officer highlighted.

The same rules apply to those who are younger, but suffer from immunodeficiency disorders or other chronic diseases, have renal or cardiovascular conditions. If they contract the virus, the progression of the disease is much more severe in their case than in other healthy young people.

Naturally, young people and even children can contract the virus. In 80 per cent of children and young people, the disease progresses with very few and mild symptoms, and they recover within a few days. However, it is young people that can take home this disease to the elderly.

“Now we need everyone, I’m appealing to everyone, and asking everyone who can to keep a distance from others and to stay at home,” Ms. Müller said.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)