The Respiratory Infections Weekly Report for the week of January 2-8, 2023 was published by EODY. The report also officially reports the presence of cases of the ChBB.1.5 subvariant, which has come to be known as the “Kraken”, in Greece.

In Attica, 6 cases of subvariant “Kraken”

A specific sub-variant XBB.1.5 was found in a total of 6 samples in our country. Three of these were obtained from testing samples of the XBB sub-variant from previous weeks. All six samples were found in Attica, and more specifically in the western and northern regions of Athens.

In addition to sub-option XBB.1.5, the following report reviews the available epidemiological data from the EODY surveillance systems for viral infections of the respiratory system (SARSCoV-2, influenza viruses and respiratory syncytial virus – RSV) in our country for the week 01/2023.

128 intubated with Covid-19

In particular, according to EODY data, during the week of January 2-8, 149 deaths of patients with COVID-19 were recorded, with a median age of 85 years (range 51-98 years). 100% of the deceased had an underlying disease and/or were aged 70 years or older.

It is noted that the total number of new hospitalizations of patients with COVID-19 in the region for the week from 01/2023 amounted to 1,632 (+7% weekly change). The average daily hospitalization for the week was 233 people.

In total, the number of intubated patients with COVID-19 infection in the territory is 128 (last updated 09/01/2023).

7 flu patients in intensive care unit

In the same period, 2 new deaths were recorded for influenza, while the total number of deaths from the influenza virus in our country reached 9. These are 3 men and 6 women (age range: 41-90 years, median age: 79 years).

In the week of 01/2023, 7 new severe cases of laboratory-confirmed type A influenza were reported with ICU admissions. These are 4 men and 3 women aged 2 to 72 years with an average age of 66 years.

In total, from week 40/2022 to week 01/2023, 36 people were hospitalized with influenza in the intensive care unit.

To summarize week 01:

Influenza syndromes (regardless of pathogen)

✓ The community recorded a slight decrease compared to the previous week

✓ the decrease affected all age groups, except for the group of 15-64 years old

SARS-CoV2 virus – COVID-19 infection

✓ COVID-19 hospitalizations showed a slight increase compared to the previous week

✓ the number of new intubations has not changed significantly

✓ The number of patients with COVID-19 infection hospitalized for intubation is 128.

✓ 149 deaths reported with a mean age of 85 years (range 51-98 years)

✓ BA.5 sub-option is still the most common Omicron sub-option

✓ The percentage of sub-variant BQ.1.1 shows an increase in relation to other sub-variants of strain BA.5

✓ Among the BA.2 strains, the most commonly recognized subvariant is BA.2.75, followed by the XBB subvariant

✓ Sub-variant XBB.1.5 was detected in only 6 samples (3 of them were obtained by rechecking samples of sub-variant XBB from previous weeks)

✓ Viral load surveillance in municipal wastewater showed an increase in SARSCoV2 virus circulation in 3 out of 6 areas tested.

flu virus

✓ The flu positivity rate in the community has decreased.

✓ In the week since 01/2023, there have been 7 new severe cases of laboratory-confirmed influenza type A involving ICU patients and 2 new deaths.

✓ in total, from the 40th week of 2022 to the 01st week of 2023, 36 people with influenza were hospitalized in the ICU and 9 deaths of patients with laboratory-confirmed influenza were registered

✓ A total of 221 specimens were detected from week 40, 2022 to week 01, 2023.
positive for influenza viruses, of which 218 (99%) were type A strains and 3 (1%) were type B strains

✓ Of 215 type A strains, 209 (97%) were classified as subtype A(H3N2) and 6 (3%) as subtype A(H1N1)pdm09

Respiratory syncytial virus – RSV

✓ a positive result showed no significant change from the previous week in a sample from a mass community sample (non-sentinel samples)