LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta is registering an increase in Covid-19 cases and in respiratory infections this summer. This was confirmed by the local health authorities saying that positive cases of coronavirus continued to be detected.
According to the local health authorities, between June 5 and August 6, an average of 12 positive cases of Covid-19 were reported daily. Between July 31 and August 6, one person died while COVID positive and 151 new cases were registered.
Breaking down the ages of reported COVID-19 cases from June 5 to August 6, most positive cases (169) were over the age of 80 and those aged between 50-69. Another 163 cases were reported between the ages of 30 to 49 and 147 cases aged between 70-79.
There is no longer a legal requirement to report positive cases to health authorities. This means that the number of COVID-19 cases in the community could be much more than what is being reported.
Local doctors reported that this summer more patients are turning up with coughs, sore throats and nose infections, which is all very unusual for this time of year.
Patients who have COVID-like symptoms are advised to take a rapid medical test and, if found positive, should isolate and retest on the seventh day.
This spike is not a local phenomenon. In recent weeks, US public health officials have warned of a “mild summer surge” of COVID-19 while the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention noticed that hospitalisations for COVID were up 12 per cent for the week ending July 22. According to studies, the new coronavirus variant – EG.5 – is causing 17 per cent of new COVID-19 cases in the US.
Symptoms associated with this variant are a sore throat, runny nose, fever, cough, fatigue, muscle aches and headaches.
According to the local health authorities no new variants have so far been detected in Malta and herd immunity remains high in Malta, thus, most cases are mild.
– Foto: Agenzia Fotogramma –
(ITALPRESS).
