Influenza: Experts ponder whether to ‘open schools on Monday’

The flu epidemic, coupled with a shortage of intensive care beds in children’s hospitals, worries the committee of experts, Mr. Capravelos said.

Nikos Kapravelos, the head of the Papanicolou Hospital Intensive Care Unit (Νοσοκομείου “Παπανικολάου”), proposes to extend the school holidays by one week due to the increase in cases of coronavirus and influenza among children.

In an interview with SKAI journalists, Mr. Capravelos noted that the cases should lead to the fact that the committee of specialists will decide to extend the school holidays so that they open not on Monday, but at least a week laterso as not to exacerbate the problem.

“We can see children in serious condition, up to hospitalization in intensive care,” he warns. “In England in December, beds were filled with patients with viral infections and acute respiratory infections. No more intensive care beds in Greece. Northern Greece was forced to send the child to Athens. We have to think about the health of our children, protect it,” said Mr. Capravelos. According to him, there are about 200 viruses that can cause problems. “Everything suggests that the epidemic this winter will be terrible,” he says.

With regard to China, Mr. Capravelos says he is not worried about the “invasion” of Omicron, and the measures taken by Europe are preventive in nature, but need to monitor the situation and cooperate with WHO. According to the doctor, the surge in coronavirus cases has decreased compared to last yeara burden on hospitals connected with viral infections.

Finally, he advises parents not to panic and resort to medical treatment. “A runny nose is not a terrible symptom,” he said, assessing that “our country has not yet reached the peak of the wave of viral diseases.”

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