Management of epidemic has been a great success so far

May 11, 2020 3:41 PM

The management of the epidemic has been a great success so far, with the containment measures the number of infected persons has been kept low, the Chief Medical Officer said at the Monday online press conference of the Operational Group responsible for the containment of the coronavirus epidemic.

Cecília Müller said the number of confirmed cases currently stands at 3,284, including 1,905 active patients. The total number of infected persons also includes all deceased persons who were infected with the coronavirus.

In Hungary, the number of fatalities is in the EU’s lower third. So far, there has been no excess mortality compared with the average mortality rate of other years, the Chief Medical Officer stated.

More than one half of the deceased are over 80. The number of victims in elderly care homes has risen to 100. Every fourth victim lived in an elderly care home. In the Pesti út institution in Budapest alone 42 persons have died of coronavirus infection, while the number of infected persons has reached 305. Even if these institutions are excluded, Budapest and Pest County remain the most infected part of the country. The number of confirmed coronavirus patients under the age of 18 is just 67, the Chief Medical Officer pointed out.

Almost one half of the victims of coronavirus infection, 198 persons were over the age of 80. Among the deceased 177 persons were aged between 65 and 79, 20 persons were between the ages of 60 and 64, there were 15 victims aged between 50 and 59, 8 between 40 and 49, and 3 between 30 and 39.

So far, there have been just 67 infected persons under the age of 19. Many of them have already recovered, and none of them has sustained any permanent health impairment. She added that at present there are two registered minors; their condition is satisfactory.

She said 42 per cent of all patients are men, while 58 per cent women; this corresponds to the Hungarian age structure, meaning that the percentage of incidences reflects that many more women than men live to be 90.

Ms. Müller also highlighted that the territorial distribution of infections had not changed. In Budapest the number of confirmed cases stands at 1,587, in Pest County at 438 and in Fejér County at 333. The rate of infection is the highest in Budapest and Pest County also in relation to one hundred thousand persons, followed by Fejér County. She observed that Zala County, too, had become a significant area for infection, primarily due to residential facilities for the elderly.

She said the number of infected persons is the highest in Budapest and Pest County even if we deduct the number of infections occurring in social institutions and hospitals from the total case number.

The percentage of incidences is the lowest in Hajdú-Bihar County and Bács-Kiskun County.

She said in Hungary it is still true that the rate of infection depends on the number of closed communities, typically social care homes and hospital departments concerned.

So far positive cases have been registered in 32 elderly care homes, including 12 institutions in Budapest and 20 in the countryside.

On the occasion of the day of emergency medical service workers, the Chief Medical Officer said thank you to ambulance workers who have taken part in the taking of samples since the beginning of the epidemic. At the same time, on the occasion of the week of nurses, she also said thank you to nurses who have stood with us “also during this difficult time” and “are doing everything they can for us”.

In answer to a question, Ms. Müller said, based on the report of the Director General of the Tatabánya Szent Borbála Hospital, a number of measures have been implemented in order to isolate patients and to avoid further infections. Only an onsite inspection is now required in order to determine whether the institution can resume the admission of patients.

In answer to the question of whether the lifting of restrictions in the countryside has caused any changes in the situation, she said minimum two weeks must elapse before they can tell, but so far the number of incidences has decreased steadily.

She highlighted in response to another question that general practitioners are indeed difficult to reach at this time because, in addition to consultation and prescription writing by telephone, appointments are also requested by telephone. She asked patients to remain patient, and if possible to contact physicians by e-mail.