Twenty-four patients died of a Covid-related illness in the past 24 hours, while 2,548 new coronavirus infections were registered, koronavirus.gov.hu said on Friday.
So far 5,935,182 people have received a first jab, while 5,714,861 have been fully vaccinated. Fully 1,082,000 Hungarians have received a booster jab.
The number of active infections stands at 19,491, while hospitals are treating 1,233 Covid patients, 169 of whom need respiratory assistance.
Since the first outbreak, 843,825 infections have been registered, while fatalities have risen to 30,492. Fully 793,842 people have made a recovery.
There are 17,984 people in official quarantine, while 7,236,933 tests have been officially carried out.
The epidemic gets worse in Hungary, but Miklós Rusvai would not reintroduce obligatory mask-wearing. However, he said that Hungarians coming from Romania for Fidesz’s peace march on October 23 might be dangerous because the situation there is much worse.
Rusvai said that the mask is crucial because there are other respiratory diseases like the flu, and wearing one can help avoid sickness. He said that the number of new infections would rise. But its peak will be much lower than during the third wave last year. He added that he would not make vaccination obligatory. However, he highlighted that those inoculated protect not only themselves but their relatives, friends, too.
He said that inviting Hungarians living in Romania to Fidesz’s peace march is risky. Rusvai added that the hunting world expo and the opposition primaries did not worsen the situation.
Twenty patients died of a Covid-related illness in the past 24 hours, while 2,361 new coronavirus infections were registered, koronavirus.gov.hu said on Thursday. So far, 5,932,239 people have received the first jab, while 5,710,977 have been fully vaccinated. Fully 1,056,000 Hungarians have received a booster jab.
The number of active infections stands at 17,521, while hospitals are treating 1,105 Covid patients, 155 of whom need respiratory assistance. Since the first outbreak, 841,277 infections have been registered, while fatalities have risen to 30,468. Fully 793,288 people have made a recovery. There are 15,854 people in official quarantine, while 7,217,103 tests have been officially carried out.
Thirty patients died of a Covid-related illness in the past 24 hours, while 1,668 new coronavirus infections were registered, koronavirus.gov.hu said on Wednesday. So far 5,929,164 people have received a first jab, while 5,706,773 have been fully vaccinated. Fully 1,033,000 Hungarians have received a booster jab.
The number of active infections stands at 15,711, while hospitals are treating 1,058 Covid patients, 145 of whom need respiratory assistance.
Since the first outbreak, 838,916 infections have been registered, while fatalities have risen to 30,448. Fully 792,757 people have made a recovery.
There are 12,638 people in official quarantine, while 7,197,609 tests have been officially carried out.
Hungary’s Constitutional Court has rejected claims that the rights enjoyed by immunity certificate holders, but withheld from those without one, are unconstitutional, a decision published on the court’s website said on Tuesday.
The court received some 1,000 individual complaints in the matter since the pass was first issued.
The claims argued that the immunity certificates, issued to those who have been vaccinated against or have recovered from Covid-19, ensured rights to their owners in a way that discriminated against those who could not receive the vaccine due to underlying health conditions.
The court said that certain fundamental rights could be suspended during a state of emergency. Parliament reviews the state of emergency regularly to ensure those rights are not curbed longer than necessary, the ruling said.
In Hungary, immunity certificates are still required when attending certain events, but people are allowed to go to hotels, stores, restaurants, baths, and water parks without an immunity certificate. Nonetheless, it is not easy to gain an overview of the continuously changing epidemiological restrictions and rules, so we have collected the latest rules concerning events.
Hungarian general practitioners will be given close to 800,000 rapid antigen tests to test suspected coronavirus patients, the government website koronavirus.gov.hu said on Saturday.
The antigen tests will allow GPs to identify Covid patients among those suffering from seasonal respiratory infections, the website said.
Those displaying Covid symptoms will need to be tested even if they are a health-care or social worker, someone receiving social care, the contact of a confirmed Covid patient or receiving inpatient or outpatient care, the website said.
GPs will also be authorised to order the patient to get a PCR test, it added.
Those who test positive for the virus are still required to quarantine for ten days.
The website said vaccination was the most effective way to defend against the virus, arguing that less than one percent of those who are inoculated fall ill with Covid.
Eleven patients died of a Covid-related illness over the past 24 hours, while 1,141 new coronavirus infections were registered, koronavirus.gov.hu said on Thursday.
Number of infections rising
So far 5,916,769 people have received a first jab, while 5,689,371 have been fully vaccinated. Fully 948,000 Hungarians have received a booster jab. The number of active infections stands at 11,398, while hospitals are treating 742 Covid patients, 113 of whom need respiratory assistance. Since the first outbreak, 831,866 infections have been registered, while fatalities have risen to 30,341. Fully 790,127 people have made a recovery.
There are 9,604 people in official quarantine, while 7,110,156 tests have been officially carried out.
Economy growing
Meanwhile, the Hungarian economy seems to recover after the crisis. For exampe, the output of Hungary’s construction sector grew by an annual 10.2 percent in August, the Central Statistical Office (KSH) said on Thursday. Output of the building segment climbed by 16.3 percent and civil engineering output was up by 2.4 percent.
In absolute terms, output reached 440.9 billion forints (EUR 1.2bn). The building segment accounted for 61 percent of the total. Month on month, output fell 5.8 percent based on seasonally and working day-adjusted data.
Hungary’s national vaccine plant will this year receive the technology from Russia to produce the Sputnik coronavirus vaccine, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Thursday in Moscow, after talks with Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko.
Hungary to receive technology to make Sputnik vaccines
Szijjártó said Hungary had “profited greatly” from high-level health-care cooperation with Russia, the foreign ministry said in a statement. Earlier in the pandemic, Hungary procured enough Sputnik V vaccine to “protect the life and health of one million people”, contributing to the “fastest vaccination campaign in Europe”, Szijjártó said.
“We now agreed to take vaccine cooperation to a new level,”
he said.
Murashko and Szijjártó agreed that the technology transfer necessary to produce Sputnik vaccine will be done this year, to be used in Hungary’s vaccine factory which is currently under construction, the statement said.
Hungary also has an economic interest in manufacturing a vaccine high in demand worldwide,
Szijjártó said.
Murashko said the World Health Organisation’s accreditation process of the vaccine is expected to pick up speed. The WHO will sign an agreement with the Russian government to start the process next Wednesday, he said.
Szijjártó said Hungary had “positive experiences” with Sputnik V, and is ready to make the data available for the WHO. Szijjártó and Murashko agreed to convene the Hungarian-Russian mixed committee at the end of November to work out details of vaccine production, Szijjarto said.
Ten patients died of a Covid-related illness over the past 24 hours, while 814 new coronavirus infections were registered, koronavirus.gov.hu said on Tuesday.
Latest coronavirus news
So far 5,913,862 people have received a first jab, while 5,685,596 have been fully vaccinated. Fully 928,000 Hungarians have received a booster jab. The number of active infections stands at 10,690, while hospitals are treating 737 Covid patients, 116 of whom need respiratory assistance. Since the first outbreak, 830,725 infections have been registered, while fatalities have risen to 30,330. Fully 789,705 people have made a recovery.
There are 8,112 people in official quarantine,
while 7,093,879 tests have been officially carried out.
The Hungarian economy, on the other hand, is recovering quicker than expected before. The industrial output in Hungary rose by an annual 2.6 percent in August, the Central Statistical Office (KSH) said on Wednesday. Adjusted for the number of working days, output edged up by 0.6 percent, staying slightly above the output in 2019, the second reading of data showed. Month on month, output fell 2.7 percent based on seasonally and working day-adjusted data.
Output of vehicle manufacturing fell by an annual 33.7 percent in August as the global semiconductor shortage impacted factories. The decline in output of automotive industry companies, which accounted for 17 percent of total manufacturing output in August, accelerated from a 6.7 percent drop in July. Output of the computer, electronics and optical equipment segment, accounting for 12 percent of manufacturing, slipped 3.7 percent in August. The volume of industrial exports edged up 0.2 percent.
As the old saying goes, better be safe than sorry.
As we got used to life in a global pandemic, waiting for the moment when it all ends, we almost forgot another illness that can have severe consequences for people; influenza. While this illness seems almost innocent in comparison with Covid-19, being protected from it is not less important – writes hellomagyar.hu.
Seasonal flu can cause 4-50 million illnesses per year in the European Union, claiming 15,000-70,000 lives.
Taking the influenza vaccine can save thousands of lives, but to achieve protection, 2-3 weeks have to pass. Another important factor in taking this vaccine is that it has to be taken before seasonal influenza starts spreading. Elder people and people suffering from chronic diseases are more likely to get the flu, but pregnant women and children, healthcare professionals and people who often get into contact with others, and those who frequently travel abroad are advised to take precautions.
But how does one know if they got covid or have the flu?
According to my.clevelandclinic.org, the flu symptoms are sudden onset of moderate to high fever, dry cough, headache, sore throat, chills, runny nose, loss of appetite, muscle aches and tiredness. Per information found on canada.ca, symptoms of the coronavirus are the following: new or worsening cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, temperature equal to or more than 38°C, feeling feverish, chills, fatigue or weakness, muscle or body aches, loss of smell or taste, headache, abdominal pain, diarrhoea and vomiting and feeling very unwell.
Can people take both vaccines at the same time?
On cdc.gov, some of the most critical questions about vaccines are answered. September and October are good times to be vaccinated against the flu, and everyone should be vaccinated by the end of October. According to the website, “it is possible to have flu and other respiratory illnesses like COVID-19 at the same time.” It can also be read that getting the COVID-19 vaccine, including a COVID-19 booster shot and the flu vaccine, at the same time is possible.
“While limited data exist on giving COVID-19 vaccines with other vaccines, including flu vaccines, experience with giving other vaccines together has shown the way our bodies develop protection, and possible side effects are generally similar whether vaccines are given alone or with other vaccines. If you have concerns about getting both vaccines at the same time, you should speak with a health care provider.”- the site states with regards to the safety of the vaccines combined.
Serology tests performed on hundreds of employees revealed the most effective coronavirus vaccines in Hungary and the ones generating the lowest level of antibodies. Here are the results!
The Videoton Holding company conducted hundreds of serology tests for COVID-19 among its employees in order to assess their level of immunity. According to the results,
mRNA vaccines are the most effective because those vaccinated with Moderna and Pfizer vaccines have the highest antibody levels.
Adenoviral technologies (AstraZeneca, Sputnik) also provide robust protection. Still, in the case of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine, which contains the killed virus, the company considers it necessary to take the 3rd dose as this one generated the lowest level of antibodies – revealed from the study results.
As the Hungarian news portal Portfolio reports, the company started the series of serology tests in July after the third wave of the pandemic in Hungary. Since then, more than 800 antibody tests have been made, and the testing of each employee four months after the Covid infection or 2nd vaccination is still going on. The only vaccine that could not be listed in the ranking is the Janssen vaccine due to the low number of samples (the number of employees inoculated with Janssen is meagre).
Based on the results so far, the highest level of antibodies were registered in the case of:
Moderna with approx. 8000 AU / ml,
Followed by Pfizer in the second place with approx. 5600 AU / ml,
AstraZeneca and Sputnik, approx. 1550 AU / ml,
and at Sinopharm approx. 600 AU / ml antibody was measured.
The minimum level of protection is 50 AU / ml. The study results excluded those who had also had a Covid infection before vaccination, and therefore had higher antibody levels due to the previous infection, i.e. not only caused by vaccination.
Ottó Sinkó, co-CEO of the company, emphasised that these are not scientific results but still necessary to reflect the effectiveness of the different vaccines.
Accordingly, mRNA-based vaccines produce the highest levels of antibodies, while adenovirus vaccines produce lower levels, but these vaccines also provide substantial protection.
However, in the case of Sinopharm, especially over the age of 60, the immunity was very low or even 0.
In their case, a third dose was recommended by the company. After the third vaccination, the antibody level was measured again, and a significant increase of immunity could be experienced. Those vaccinated with two Sinopharmes and who took the third dose had a massive increase in their antibody levels. In this group over 60 years of age, the level of antibodies after the second dose was 141 AU / ml, many of which were below the critical minimum of 50. However, after taking the third dose – Pfizer, in all cases – the antibody count rose to an average of 18,000.
Consequently, the third Pfizer given after the two Sinopharms is, therefore, extremely effective.
The expert pointed out that the current high level of immunity can decrease significantly by the passage of time. Regardless of what vaccine people have been given, antibody levels fall by about a third every three months, which can be especially dangerous for those whose first two doses of Sinopharm have only produced shallow antibody levels. Accordingly, after two doses of Sinopharm, a third, preferably Pfizer vaccination, is recommended. The expert emphasised establishing and maintaining immunity at the beginning of the 4th wave, which is getting closer week by week based on the increasing number of daily infections in Hungary. By way of comparison, in September – except for Budapest – all the regions of Hungary had been in the green safe zone until last Thursday when the Hungarian capital and the Northern Hungarian region got marked red. The rest of the country were drawn in the orange zone due to the increasing number of daily infections – reported by Napidoktor.
Photo: www.ecdc.europa.eu
In addition to the fourth wave, the flu may cause additional difficulties in the winter. According to doctors and virologists, the two viruses can cause a severe epidemic at the same time. While last year the restrictions pushed back not only Covid but the flu, this year, both viruses could spread in the upcoming period. In order to prevent this, both COVID and influenza vaccines are highly recommended.
PM Viktor Orbán said in his today morning interview that the teachers’ unions were right to be demanding higher wages, given that they were the first sector to receive significant wage hikes around 2013-2014. However, taking inflation and the pay rises in other sectors into account, “they have now fallen down the order”. “This isn’t fair and the teachers are right to demand wage hikes,” he said. Orbán said teachers could receive a wage hike of 10 percent next year and a more significant hike in January 2023 if the economy continues to perform as it has. The prime minister said that although the Hungarian economy was in good shape, the public debt-to-GDP ratio was between 75 and 80 percent. “When a country’s public debt is between 75 and 80 percent of GDP, then it’s on thin ice even if the economy is doing well,” he said. “We have to be very careful here, because a flawed economic policy decision or poor timing could cause that ice beneath us to break.”
Orbán said the wage hikes and revenues resulting from the economy’s strong performance needed to be used in a way that allowed the government to reduce the public debt and bring it back to around 50 percent.
On another subject, Orbán said Hungary had still not received the funds it was entitled to from the EU’s post-pandemic recovery package. “This isn’t fair and it means that it’s not a level playing field,” he added.
He said the
EU was making the transfer of funds conditional on Hungary allowing LGBTQ activists into schools.
“Fortunately the Hungarian economy is performing well, and we don’t want to accept the money at the cost of ceding our right to our children’s sex education,” Orbán said. “We are entitled to this money, it’s just that this disagreement is causing a delay in the transfers.” Meanwhile, Orbán said he will receive his Covid booster jab next week and advised Hungarians to also get their third jab. Given that the coronavirus is still new, no one knows anything certain about it, but several variants of it have already been identified and more are likely to emerge, he said.
“But what all doctors are certain of is that the vaccine works and it’s preferable to get a booster shot,” Orbán added. He said that despite not having received a Nobel Prize for her work with mRNA technology, Hungarian biochemist
Katalin Karikó “is our hero and she saved millions of lives”.
“This may not be deserving of a Nobel Prize, but she has done heroic work and we are very proud of her,” Orban said.
Sixteen patients died of a Covid-related illness during the past 24 hours, while 774 new coronavirus infections were registered, koronavirus.gov.hu said on Friday.
So far 5,905,837 people have received a first jab, while 5,674,182 have been fully vaccinated. Fully 877,000 Hungarians have received a booster jab. The number of active infections stands at 9,121, while hospitals are treating 650 Covid patients, 100 of whom need respiratory assistance. Since the first outbreak, 827,410 infections have been registered, while fatalities have risen to 30,275. Fully 788,014 people have made a recovery.
There are 8,006 people in official quarantine, while 7,032,329 tests have been officially carried out.
Meanwhile, the Hungarian government will send 1,000 boxes of the antiviral drug favipiravir to Romania early next week to assist the neighbouring country’s coronavirus pandemic defence efforts, the foreign minister said on Friday.
“The fourth wave of the pandemic is, no doubt, here. Those who have not been vaccinated will easily get into trouble, as it has been the case around the world,” Péter Szijjártó said on Facebook. “Countries with a low vaccination rate are facing more serious problems.” In Romania “everything is happening now all at once”, Szijjártó said, referring to the most recent hospital fire.
He said Hungary aimed to provide help to its neighbours and is in regular contact with Hunor Kelemen, Romania’s deputy prime minister. Consultations on further help will be continued, the minister said. “In a first step,
we will send 1,000 boxes of favipiravir early next week.
This medicine can help prevent or treat serious symptoms,” Szijjártó said, adding that effective pandemic protection efforts in neighbouring countries would also benefit Hungary.
Béla Merkely, rector of the Semmelweis University of Medicine, said that the infection curve of the fourth wave will be very different from the previous ones since it will be flatter. However, he warned that everybody, who did not get a jab, would catch the virus because the delta variant is very infectious.
According to portfolio.hu, the fourth wave will not overburden the Hungarian healthcare system like the third did last fall – he added. Talking about the third jab he said that it should be taken only if six months passed after the administration of the second jab. Furthermore, it is recommended for the elderly and those struggling with chronic diseases.
He cleared that in Romania the number of new infections is growing because the rate of the inoculated people is very low. Therefore, he does not recommend anybody to travel there.
In Hungary, six patients died of a Covid-related illness during the past 24 hours, while 837 new coronavirus infections were registered, koronavirus.gov.hu said on Thursday. So far 5,902,806 people have received a first jab, while 5,669,473 have been fully vaccinated. Fully 854,000 Hungarians have received a booster jab. The number of active infections stands at 8,722, while hospitals are treating 627 Covid patients, 92 of whom need respiratory assistance.
Since the first outbreak, 826,636 infections have been registered, while fatalities have risen to 30,259. Fully 787,655 people have made a recovery. There are 7,083 people in official quarantine, while 7,016,611 tests have been officially carried out.
Seven patients died of a Covid-related illness during the past 24 hours, while 629 new coronavirus infections were registered, koronavirus.gov.hu said on Wednesday.
Atv.hu wrote yesterday that based on the mathematical model of a Washington healthcare institute, the fourth wave would peak in Hungary at the end of November. According to their calculations, it cannot be ruled out that the daily number of newly infected would reach 25 thousand by then. The coronavirus press centre said that there are multiple models, but only those are in danger who did not accept the jab yet.
According to MTI, so far 5,900,019 people have received a first jab, while 5,665,141 have been fully vaccinated. Fully 833,000 Hungarians have received a booster jab. The number of active infections stands at 8,316, while hospitals are treating 574 Covid patients, 79 of whom need respiratory assistance. Since the first outbreak, 825,799 infections have been registered, while fatalities have risen to 30,253. Fully 787,230 people have made a recovery.
There are 6,097 people in official quarantine, while 7,000,417 tests have been officially carried out.
Hungary has so far received some 66 percent of the 24 million doses of vaccines allocated for the country from European Union procurements, the government website koronavirus.hu said on Tuesday.
The largest volume of vaccines, or 9.5 million doses, have been supplied by Pfizer, it added.
Hungary has a sufficient supply of vaccine for all citizens, including people who want booster shots, the website said. All types of vaccine, including Pfizer, Sinopharm, Sputnik, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Janssen can be booked online and received at hospital vaccination points, the website said. GPs also administer jabs according to demand, it added.
The figures published on the website show that of 10,874,511 doses of Pfizer allocated for Hungary, 9,459,825 doses have been received.
Of 1,723,610 doses of Moderna allocated, 1,671,600 doses have been received, of 6,513,460 doses of AstraZeneca 3,801,800 doses have been received, of 4,309,022 doses of Janssen 800,400 doses have been received and of half a million doses of CureVac, none have been received yet.
Of eastern vaccines, two millions doses of Sputnik V and five million doses of Sinopharm have been ordered and received, the website said.
Hungary is building a vaccine production facility in Debrecen where a Hungarian vaccine currently under development will be produced.
The government made it mandatory for hospital staff and healthcare professionals to take the vaccine. Those who did not obey the new rule will be fired.
Coronavirus in Hungary is getting worse each day. Even university students were obligated to take the jab. In our former article, we informed the general public that at the University of Debrecen, everyone who studies general medicine, dental medicine, pharmacy, public health, or anybody who participates in preparatory courses had to take at least one of the two vaccines by 6 September, regardless of the students’ nationality or citizenship.
In early September, several patients and hospital staff got Covid-19 at Szent János hospital, and the hospital stopped taking up new patients for a while at the infected department. Then the opening of schools caused an issue, as many students got covid and spread the virus due to lack of testing. You can read more about this issue HERE.
No wonder that the government tried every possible solution to stop the virus from spreading. The new rule was introduced, according to which all hospital and healthcare workers are obligated to take the vaccine. Those who refuse to obey the new rule will be fired.
At the University of Miskolc and the University of Szeged, students can enter the building only if they wear a mask. This rule was necessary because the virus has been causing more issues since August. More and more people are hospitalised, and the number of patients on respirators and deceased people are growing. The problem is aggravated by hospital staff leaving the field due to their decision not to get the vaccine. – reported RTL.
Adrianna Soós, leader of Independent Health Trade Union (Független Egészségügyi Szakszervezet), told the tv channel that in smaller hospitals, 4-5 people could terminate work contracts, but in other hospitals, 15-80 employees could lose their job. The total number of dismissed employees could be 2,000-3,000.
It turns out that not only healthcare professionals such as doctors and nurses could get fired, but also other staff members. If someone does not work directly with patients but could be in contact with them, such as cleaning staff or caretakers, but in some cases even the members of the economy department, they could lose their job as well. Those who do not have proof that they refused the vaccine due to health concerns will not get dismission pay.
The number of schools and universities prescribing face masks for their students is constantly rising in Hungary as the number of new COVID cases increases.
According to portfolio.hu, multiple Budapest and country schools tightened rules regarding mask-wearing in the last two weeks. That is because the number of students struggling with upper respiratory symptoms is rising. Therefore, more and more schools prescribe compulsory mask-wearing in the corridors, canteens, toilets, and rooms of social interaction. In some institutions, students already have to wear a mask during classes.
More and more people are wearing masks on public transport. Up until now, 3-4 schools have closed because of the fourth wave, and 10-15 classes are continuing with digital education.
Many universities also introduced compulsory mask-wearing. At some universities, students have to wear masks only during classes. One example is the Budapest University of Technology and Economy.
nine patients died of a Covid-related illness in the past 24 hours,
while 679 new coronavirus infections were registered, koronavirus.gov.hu said on Friday. So far 5,891,228 people have received their first jab, while 5,651,539 have been fully vaccinated. 784,000 Hungarians have received a booster jab.
The number of active infections stands at 7,539,
while hospitals are treating 533 Covid patients, 84 of whom need respiratory assistance. Since the first outbreak, 823,384 infections have been registered, while fatalities have risen to 30,199. 785,646 people have made a full recovery. There are 6,476 people in official quarantine, while 6,947,933 tests have been officially carried out.
Five patients died of a Covid-related illness in the past 24 hours, while 633 new coronavirus infections were registered, koronavirus.gov.hu said on Thursday.
So far 5,887,540 people have received a first jab, while 5,645,518 have been fully vaccinated. Fully 760,000 Hungarians have received a booster jab. The number of active infections stands at 7,425, while hospitals are treating 539 Covid patients, 87 of whom need respiratory assistance. Since the first outbreak, 822,705 infections have been registered, while fatalities have risen to 30,190. Fully 785,090 people have made a recovery. There are 5,395 people in official quarantine, while 6,932,779 tests have been officially carried out.
Thanks to the slow spread of the virus, the government does not plan to introduce restrictions. Therefore, it seems that the Hungarian economy is recovering quicker than expected before. Even so, prices are skyrocketing in the country. Factory gate prices in Hungary increased by an annual 14.4 percent in August, data released by the Central Statistical Office (KSH) on Thursday show. KSH said the increase was driven by dearer raw materials, base materials and vehicle fuel, as well as by the forint-euro exchange rate.
Prices for domestic sale increased by 18.5 percent and export prices rose by 14.4 percent.
Factory gate prices in vehicle manufacturing edged up by 2.1 percent and increased by 2.7 percent in the computer, electronics and optical equipment segment. Factory gate prices for chemicals jumped 39.7 percent and rose by 26.9 percent for metal products. In a month-on-month comparison, factory gate prices edged up 0.4 percent as prices for domestic sale increased by 1.1 percent and export prices were unchanged.
For the period January-August, industrial producer prices increased by 10.8 percent year-on-year, with prices for domestic sale rising by 11.9 percent and export prices climbing by 10.2 percent.
