The number of recovered patients is higher than the number of active cases; this, too, shows that the epidemic is in a downward phase, the Chief Medical Officer highlighted at the Monday online press conference of the Operational Group responsible for the containment of the coronavirus epidemic.

Cecília Müller said 430 persons are being treated in hospital, including 30 requiring assisted ventilation. She recalled that two weeks ago around one half of active infected patients required hospitalisation, while now this figure is less than one third. This means that active patients are now typically overcoming the infection with milder symptoms, she said.

Outlining the data of the distribution of positive infection patients by age groups, she said from among the 3,756 total infected persons, there were three below the age of 1, 9 between the ages of 1 and 2, 7 aged between 3 and 5, 10 between the ages of 6 and 9, 21 between the ages of 10 and 14, and 30 aged between 15 and 19. From among registered infected persons, there were 267 between the ages of 20 and 29, 318 between the ages of 30 and 39, 529 between the ages of 40 and 49, 587 between the ages of 50 and 59, 264 between the ages of 60 and 64, 946 between the ages of 65 and 79, and 765 over the age of 80.

Regarding the distribution of the deceased by age groups, the Chief Medical Officer said in Hungary no one under the age of 29 years has died in connection with coronavirus infection. She added that there are three fatalities between the ages of 30 and 39, eight between 40 and 49, 19 between 50 and 59, 24 between 60 and 64, while over the age of 80 as many as 228 patients have died in connection with the disease. She highlighted that five fatalities and 38 patients fall on one hundred thousand residents.

Ms. Müller mentioned that in the countryside nursery schools and creches are opening today. In this regard, she highlighted that disinfecting and deep cleaning had been carried out in all institutions, and staff members were ready to receive children.

The Chief Medical Officer also said that the favourable epidemic situation allows the resumption of public health screening tests from 1 June.

It is necessary to resume screening mammography for women, gynaecological cancer screening tests and colon cancer screening organised for those aged between 50 and 75 as cancer diseases account for 25 per cent of fatalities in Hungary, she said.

She indicated that these screening tests are painless, and any abnormalities discovered through them in good time can be cured with good chances. Therefore, she asked everyone to take advantage of the available screening tests.

Ms. Müller was unable to state a precise date for the resumption of the full range of health care services that were available before the epidemic. She added, however, that they were gradually restarting publicly funded health care services, whilst maintaining a state of disease control preparedness.

The Chief Medical Officer said thank you to the staff members of the health care authorities which have played a major role in the containment of the epidemic, “all the invisible actors who have worked extremely hard in the background” in the past few months.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister / MTI)