Péter Cseresnyés 2021.01.08.
Last year, just like in most countries in the world, was about the coronavirus pandemic in Hungary as well. We take a look at how this dangerous disease started spreading in the country, hoping that the recently started mass vaccination will soon render the virus a thing of the past. Summary.
In Hungary, from the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak in March until the very end of 2020, a shocking 322,514 coronavirus cases were registered, and 9,537 people died. This means that almost every hundredth fatality of the last year in the country was due to the coronavirus.
The first two coronavirus cases were registered by the authorities in Hungary on March 4, 2020, after which the virus started spreading rapidly. Less than two weeks later on the 15th of March, the first coronavirus-related death occurred.
Chief Epidemiologist: Licenced Covid Vaccinations Will Be Effective
Hungary’s chief epidemiologist has encouraged the public to place trust in vaccinations against the coronavirus, arguing that those licenced by the European and Hungarian authorities will definitely be effective.
Speaking to public news broadcaster M1 late on Tuesday, János Szlávik of the Budapest South Pest Hospital said it could not be ruled out that the coronavirus will “stay with us for the whole of next year”.
“If we are lucky, we may breathe freely again in the summer” but sanctions may still be needed in the autumn in order to prevent minor epidemics, he added. Some believe that the coronavirus will be around in the upcoming years or even decades but it will not cause serious problems and fatalities like this year because several effective vaccinations will be available, he said.
Coronavirus: 154 Fatalities, Infections up 1,894
Fully 154 Covid patients, generally elderly and suffering from an underlying illness, died over the past 24 hours, while 1,894 infected were officially registered, bringing the total number of infections to 308,262, koronavirus.gov.hu said on Wednesday.
The death toll has risen to 8,616, while the number of people who have made a recovery has increased to 114,631.
The number of active infections stands at 185,015, while there are 6,727 hospitalised Covid patients, 495 on a ventilator.
Altogether 29,316 people are in official home quarantine, and the number of tests carried out has risen to 2,549,464.
On November 10, lawmakers extended the government’s special powers by 90 days, allowing the government to suspend the application of some legislation, diverge from legal provisions and take other extraordinary measures by decree.
Hungary has become the first European country to grant authorisation to the emergency use of US drugmaker Eli Lilly’s Covid-19 antibody drug bamlanivimab, the human resources ministry said on Wednesday.
The National Institute of Pharmacy and Nutrition (OGYEI) earlier this month approved the use of bamlanivimab for the treatment of patients with mild and moderate cases of Covid-19 who are at risk of developing more serious forms of the disease, the ministry said in a statement.
Bamlanivimab antibody therapy can minimise complications resulting from coronavirus and help patients avoid hospitalisation, thereby also easing the pressure on doctors, nurses and the hospital system as a whole, it added.
Hungary will receive 10,000 doses of coronavirus vaccine on December 26 and the vaccination of health-care workers can begin at Budapest’s South Pest Central Hospital on the following day, the chief medical officer said on Wednesday.
Cecília Müller told a press conference of the operative board coordinating Hungary’s response to the epidemic that every European Union member country will receive the first shipment of the vaccine on the same day. The official documents for the vaccine already arrived on Tuesday, including the information that must be given to those who get vaccinated and instructions on administering the jab.