COVID-19: Healthcare workers taking brunt of outbreak

Despite having a low mortality rate, Cyprus health services remain concerned that one in four COVID-19 patients is a healthcare worker while two clusters in Aradippou and Paphos have a high number of cases.

Cyprus coronavirus mortality rate stands at 2.8% of reported cases, significantly lower than Italy’s 12.6% and UK’s 11.1%.

Up until April 7, 493 laboratory-confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID19) have been reported.

Among these 493 cases, 25.4% are healthcare workers, of which 5.7% are doctors, 13.2% nurses, 2.2% other health occupations, and 4.3% auxiliary staff.

According to the case data, 177 (35.9%) were reported in Nicosia, 124 (25.2%) in Larnaca, 90 (18.3%) in Paphos, 58 (11.8%) in Limassol, and 31 (6.3%) in Famagusta.

Thirteen cases (2.6%) were reported either in the British Bases or from abroad, or information was not available.

Notably, 63 cases (12.8%) were reported in Aradippou, a municipality in Larnaca.

Cases in Aradippou are mainly females (56%) and the median age is 57 years (interquartile range: 49-71 years).

Aradippou has 280.08 cases for every 100,000 inhabitants. The village has 20,000 inhabitants.

It is followed by Paphos with 74 cases for every 100,000 inhabitants while Larnaca is third with 70.1, Famagusta fourth with 39.4, Nicosia has 36.9 cases and Limassol just 11.4.

According to the data, 51% are male and 49% female, while for two cases sex has not been recorded at the moment.

The median age of cases is 48.5 years (interquartile range: 35-62 years).

By age groups, cases included 27 children and adolescents aged 0-17 years-old (5.6%), 317 adults aged 18-59 years (65.5%), and 140 aged 60 or older (28.9%).

The age of nine notified cases has not been recorded at the moment

The mortality rate for COVID-19 is 1.6 per 100,000 population.