Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Greece managed to stay out of the worst of it for quite a while, with only a few thousand cases up until August. However, as the weather in the northern hemisphere cooled and winter inched in, coronavirus cases in Greece took a sudden increase, with over 90,000 current active cases.
As we have seen in Australia and around the world, some of the most vulnerable members of our communities to coronavirus are older people, and those living in care facilities. But on the island of Corfu, off the north west of Greece, one aged care home has had a success story.
The 102-year-old resident of an aged care facility in Ioannina was one of 56 residents infected with coronavirus. After just 20 days in the Special Infections Unit, she has successfully beaten the infection, and has been discharged from hospital.
“The elderly woman was hospitalised for 20 days in the Special Infections Unit, which was created after the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in Corfu Hospital,” the head of Corfu General Hospital, Leonidas Roubatis, told AMNA.
“When she was in a private nursing home in Ioannina, it was found that 56 elderly people were positive for the coronavirus and the 102-year-old had to be treated among them.”
After experiencing a high fever for several days, along with other coronavirus symptoms, the centenarian was admitted to hospital, along with five other infected residents to date.
During her stay, she did not have to be intubated, and her condition began to improve.
Along with the 102-year-old, a 74-year-old from the same facility was discharged after beating their coronavirus infection.
“Love and stubbornness for life overcomes all evil. The organisation of the Special Infections Unit of Corfu Hospital operates with professionalism and commendable treatment by our competent medical and nursing staff,” Roubatis said proudly.
“We are very proud of every person who is discharged and wins the battle with the coronavirus.”
Clearly best practice demands that anyone with Covid , especially the frail must be transferred to hospital for specialist treatment for the best chance of survival.
Why has the Australian government’s in Victoria, NSW and the ACT insisted that elderly nursing home residents not allowed access to hospital effectively killing hundreds in the process?
The ACT government has gone as far to declare that nursing home residents aren’t their responsibility, they believe they are a “federal problem”.
Disgraceful!