It’s official: the fifth wave started in Hungary, nr of infections rise

Professor Béla Merkely, the rector of the Semmelweis University, said that the omicron variant is very virulent and can find the smallest “chink in the armour.”

Omicron = fifth wave

According to hvg.hu, Professor Merkely added that the fifth wave of the epidemic started in Hungary. In a Kossuth Rádió interview, he added that the original Vuhan variant of the virus caused the first two waves. Meanwhile, the British were behind the third and the delta behind the fourth waves. The newest,

omicron variant is responsible for the fifth, he cleared.

Authorities detected this variant in South Africa last November. Experts say that omicron is very virulent and can find the smallest “chink in the armour.” However, only non-inoculated people have to be concerned, he highlighted. Those vaccinated struggle only with lighter symptoms like sore throat, fever lasting for a couple of days, and headache.

Merkely said that the number of new infections would rise quickly in Hungary. It might happen that the number of patients will grow tenfold.

The number of people in severe conditions will also increase.

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Hungarian hospitals are treating Covid-19 patients. Photo: MTI

The number of new infections rises unstoppably

International data show that the omicron variant spreads quicker than the previous variants. Based on the calculations of the WHO, its doubling time is 1.5-3 days.

According to MTI, altogether 101 patients died of a Covid-related illness during the past 24 hours, while 6,524 new coronavirus infections were registered, koronavirus.gov.hu said on Friday. So far, 6,278,355 people have received the first jab, while 6,006,178 have been fully vaccinated. Fully 3,217,724 Hungarians have received a booster jab. The number of active infections has risen to 105,529, while 

hospitals are treating 3,070 Covid-19 patients, 291 of whom are intubated on a ventilator.

Hungarian hospitals are treating Covid-19 patients. Photo: MTI

Since the first outbreak, 1,282,957 have been registered with the virus, while 39,780 deaths have been recorded. Fully 1,137,648 people have made a recovery.

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Source: MTI, hvg.hu