Coronavirus – Number of infections growing, but epidemic curve kept flat in Hungary

The number of people infected with novel coronavirus is rising in Hungary, but the curve of the epidemic can be kept flat thanks to the effective controls, the chief medical officer said on Sunday.

The number of Covid-19 patients being treated in hospital is increasing, with 927 people hospitalised out of 2,500 confirmed cases, 56 of whom are on ventilators, Cecília Müller told an online press conference of the operative board coordinating the response to the epidemic.

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Fifty-seven percent of those diagnosed are women and 43 percent are men, she said.

The number of fatalities has increased to 272. Fully 256 were above the age of 60 and most of suffered from chronic underlying diseases.

Eight of the people who deceased were between the age of 50 and 59, six were 40-49 and two 30-39, she added.

Answering a question, she said the recommendations of the World Health Organisation on repeat tests were being followed. Most people are tested twice but those working in “critical infrastructure” such as health care are tested more often, she added.

Outpatients are released only after two negative test results and if there are no longer any symptoms of the virus, she said.

She added that the reproduction rate of the virus in Hungary was below 1.0 thanks to the measures introduced, and there was no information about any coronavirus patient dying at home.

Source: MTI