A rise in flu cases in Cyprus has led to increased hospital admissions, health officials said, as the state health services confirmed the first influenza‑related death of the season.
State Health Services Organization (OKYPY) spokesman Haralambos Harilaou said the death, which occurred several days ago, involved a person belonging to a vulnerable group.
“We are seeing increased activity of winter viruses in the community in recent days, and as a natural consequence, hospital admissions are rising,” Harilaou said.
He said hospital ward occupancy is currently between 85% and 90%, but stressed that operations are continuing without disruption.
Harilaou noted that admissions linked to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are lower this year. “We are not seeing the RSV‑related surge that affected paediatric wards last year,” he said.
On COVID‑19, he said hospitals continue to treat patients but numbers remain low. “We see admissions throughout the year, and we now have experience in managing these cases,” he added.
Harilaou said officials expect both infections and hospitalisations to increase in the coming period, noting that Cyprus typically sees the highest circulation of seasonal viruses in the weeks following the holiday period.