There is not a single county where there is no confirmed coronavirus patient, Chief Medical Officer Cecília Müller stressed at the online press conference of the Operational Group responsible for the containment of the coronavirus infection held on Monday.

She also highlighted that the rise in the number of patients is no longer following a straight line, it is now exponential, meaning that we can expect an intensive phase of increase. In the coming days and weeks, we will probably enter the phase of mass incidences, she added.

In the past 24 hours, the authorities have identified 36 new patients, she said, adding that there are several infected patients who are not displaying symptoms as in 80 per cent of cases people undergo the disease with mild symptoms. However, the virus poses a major threat to the elderly and those in high-risk groups. She thanked the elderly for complying with the measures adopted also in their best interests, and for going out in smaller numbers.

Ms. Müller explained that in the interest of minimising face-to-face interactions, the protocol has changed in such a way that they are reaching potential infected patients with the assistance of the ambulance service. Paramedics take samples and forward them to laboratories.

She also said several measures are being introduced in health care every day, and they are preparing for maximum incidences. All health care institutions are increasing their capacities and are preparing for receiving patients. At the same time, research activities aimed at the development of drugs and a vaccine are also under way, she said.

In response to news reports claiming that foreign students are being blamed for the appearance of the virus in Hungary, the Chief Medical Officer said there are no grounds for these claims. “No one is to blame for how a virus is transmitted from one person to another, or who infects whom,” she said, adding that the rules that could prevent the transmission of the virus must be observed. Meaning, people must avoid public places and must maintain an appropriate distance from one another, she suggested.

Regarding the number of persons who may have potentially contracted the virus in Hungary, Ms. Müller said there are model calculations for determining this figure. There are a number of factors with an impact on the spread of a virus, and the number of cases is only one of them, she added.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)