COVID-19 death toll tops 1,000 in Hungary

Budapest, Hungary. Photo: MTI

Twenty-seven Covid-19 patients have died in the past 24 hours, while the number of registered coronavirus infections in Hungary has risen by 920 to 40,782, koronavirus.gov.hu said on Wednesday.

The number of fatalities stands at 1,023, and 12,164 people have made a recovery.

There are 27,595 active infections and 1,538 Covid-19 patients are being treated in hospital,

156 on ventilators.

Altogether 23,815 people are in official home quarantine and 850,878 tests have been carried out.

The website warned Hungarians to observe social distancing guidelines and hygiene regulations. It asked elderly people to pay increased attention to protecting themselves and observe general regulations.

Entry restrictions for travellers from abroad remain in force.

In addition to shops and public transport, wearing a mask is now mandatory in cinemas, theatres, health and social institutions and public offices, and clubs have to close by 11pm to curb the spread of the virus.

The Chief Medical Officer Cecília Müller mentioned that in Hungary the second wave is still in an ascending phase, the number of infections is increasing day after day. In this regard, the age group between 20 and 29 is still highly affected, but case numbers are also rising among those aged between 30 and 60. Infections among children remain low, though there has been a rise.

“These trends show that the virus is widely present, in all age groups in society, and the rules must be observed in light of this,” she said.

She highlighted that the number of social institutions where the virus is present is increasing. At present, there are 52 such institutions, 641 positive cases have been registered among 6,630 residents, including 156 requiring hospitalisation and 37 fatalities.

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Regulations include a ban on visiting hospitals and elderly care homes which have to take every possible measure to prevent infections, the site said.

The operative body responsible for handling the epidemic response has ordered 5 schools and 165 classes to revert to digital education. Fully 39 kindergartens and 20 schools have gone on emergency breaks, the website said.

Ms. Müller said there is no way of knowing how severe the progression of the disease will be in any particular individual. Some people have no symptoms at all, while others complain about protracted malaise, fatigue and muscular weakness. In the interest of preserving health and fighting against the virus, it is important to take vitamins C and D during the winter period, to pay attention to nutrition, to regularly exercise and to drink plenty of water.

Regarding the upcoming autumn school break, she drew attention to the fact that parents should only take healthy children to their grandparents.

The Chief Medical Officer recommended that everyone check their body temperatures on a regular basis, pay more attention in general and keep a greater physical distance than usual during family meetings.

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Regarding the virulence of the coronavirus, she said at present there is no way of knowing whether the pathogen will become seasonal.

She drew attention to the fact that it is an airborne virus that can be transmitted via both droplet infection and through physical contact, and so the autumn and winter months can prove to be dangerous unless we observe the rules.

Ms. Müller said the protective capacity of face masks can be significantly compromised if they become wet or are otherwise exposed to any physical impact.

Most infections have been registered in Budapest (13,232), followed by Pest County (5,179) and the counties of Győr-Moson-Sopron (2,494), Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén (2,214), Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg (1,923), Hajdú-Bihar (1,912). Tolna County has the fewest infections (381).