Toll from flu deaths rises above 100
Doctors and medical experts are waiting for the results of a postmortem examination to confirm whether an 8-year-old girl who died in a hospital in the Peloponnese was the latest victim of flu, which has claimed more than 100 lives in Greece since October.
The child died on Tuesday morning in an intensive care unit at the University Hospital in Rio. She had been suffering from a high fever for several days after contracting type B flu, which is usually considered to be less dangerous than type A. Despite not having a history of other illnesses, the child’s health deteriorated rapidly last week.
If her death is confirmed as being caused by influenza, it will take the total number of deaths during the latest flu season, which began with type A, to 102. This is significantly lower than last year, when 197 people died during the same period, but as of Monday, 14 people remained in ICUs. A total of 267 people, including 15 children, were hospitalized since October with serious complications after they contracted the flu.
An official at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KEELPNO) suggested on Tuesday that Greece is not at the tail-end of this year’s flu season.
Meanwhile, health officials are concerned about three possible cases of tuberculosis at the Aghios Stefanos prison in Patra. The three inmates have been transferred to hospitals in Rio and Athens for treatment.
Some prison guards expressed concerns to local media about the alleged lack of health checks at the jail.
