In the past 24 hours only one new coronavirus patient has been registered, the Chief Medical Officer stated at the Wednesday online press conference of the Operational Group responsible for the containment of the coronavirus epidemic.
Cecília Müller said the epidemic data continues to remain favourable, the number of recovered patients stands at 2,547 which is triple the number of active infections. From among the 964 active patients, 210 persons are being treated in hospital, including 16 requiring assisted ventilation. In the past 24 hours, two elderly persons suffering from chronic diseases have died.
During the epidemic so far, 242,139 laboratory tests based on the demonstration of the genetic material of the virus have been carried out, she added.
The Chief Medical Officer also said during the epidemic so far the virus has been “imported” into Hungary – meaning introduced from abroad – in 93 instances. Persons infected with the coronavirus arrived from Austria in 33 instances, from the United Kingdom in 17 instances, from Italy and Germany in 5 instances each, from Spain and Turkey in 4 instances each, from France, Switzerland, Israel, the United States and Iran in 3 instances each, from the Netherlands and Mexico in 2 instances each, and from the Czech Republic, Portugal and Saint Lucia in 1 instance each. She highlighted that the distribution of patients by sex has not changed, women account for 57 per cent of infections.
There is likewise no change in the distribution of patients by counties, with 377 active patients in Budapest, 151 in Zala County, 128 in Komárom-Esztergom County and Pest County each, 127 in Fejér County, 24 in Nógrád County, 11 in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County, six in Csongrád-Csanád County , 4 in Hajdú-Bihar County, 2 each in Békés County, Győr-Moson-Sopron County and Vas County, while one active patient each in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County, Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok County and Veszprém County. There are no registered active patients in Baranya County, Bács-Kiskun County, Heves County, Tolna County and Somogy County, she said.
The number of patients who have died in consequence of coronavirus infection is as follows in a territorial breakdown: 340 in Budapest, 93 in Pest County, 43 in Fejér County, 38 in Komárom-Esztergom County, 16 in Zala County, 8 in Veszprém County, 6 each in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County and Csongrád-Csanád County, and two persons each in Baranya County, Győr-Moson-Sopron County, Hajdú-Bihar County, Heves County, Nógrád County, Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok County and Tolna County. There have been no fatalities in Békés County, Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County and Vas County, she stated.
Ms. Müller also said the elderly accounted for 40 per cent of all infections, and in Hungary there has been no fatality associated with the virus among those under the age of 30. During the epidemic so far only 90 cases have been registered in the age group of the under twenties.
In her summary of events connected to the epidemic, she said the authorities were informed at the end of 2019 that cases of viral pneumonia had been reported from China where the infection was first regarded as zoonotic (a disease spreading from animals to humans). According to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) report issued on 27 January, 37 incidences from 11 countries were registered, while on 2 March there were reports about cases of coronavirus infection from 66 countries.
Ms. Müller highlighted that before the WHO declared a state of public health emergency at the end of January, Hungary had already adopted the necessary measures; in Hungary the first coronavirus infections were registered on 4 March in the case of two Iranian university students. The number of patients rose steadily, and for approximately a month after the first cases, they were able to identify imported cases and other infected persons through contact tracing. The first fatality connected to the epidemic occurred on 15 March, she recalled.
The expert said in May the number of new cases fluctuated between 11 and 79; based on the relevant records, during that period the number of active cases stood at 1,029 which was already just 44 per cent of the data recorded in April.
According to Ms. Müller, in Hungary there was no spectacular “jump” in the epidemic curve, the first wave followed a flattened epidemic curve, and thanks to this, “we can now breathe a momentary sigh of relief”.
She highlighted that the virus is still present, and members of the public must continue to observe the relevant precautions and rules of hygiene.
At the final daily press conference of the Operational Group, Ms. Müller thanked everyone for the work performed, the assistance provided and the patience demonstrated during the epidemic.