The number of Covid patients at HUS’ units is in some cases higher than during previous epidemic peaks, the district’s infectious disease chief, Asko Järvinen, told Yle on Saturday.
“Just under 20 percent of hospitalised HUS patients are there because of Covid,” he told Yle on Saturday.
Most of those hospitalised for Covid are elderly individuals. Järvinen said that while the risk of contracting coronavirus is currently high, only a small proportion has developed severe Covid symptoms.
With publicly provided Covid testing gone, Järvinen said it was difficult to get an accurate picture of infection rates.
“There seems to be a lot of people out on sick leave now, virus levels in wastewater samples have risen sharply, and patients coming to hospitals have more coronavirus infections than before,” Järvinen explained.
The latest coronavirus strain, EG.5, informally known as Eris, triggers symptoms commonly associated with the flu. Most people who contract the Eris mutation will experience mild symptoms, if any at all.
Brief protection
The Eris variant has, according to the top physician, mutated to the extent that previous infection or vaccinations provide only limited protection against infection. The protection offered by a new vaccination is only partial and short-lived, lasting from a few weeks to a few months.
“Vaccinations have, however, been more effective than expected in preventing severe forms of the disease in all age groups,” he said.
While most people in Finland are susceptible to infection, Järvinen said there was no reason for worry. Previous coronavirus vaccinations and illnesses provide sufficient protection against severe forms of Covid-19.
Source: Yle
