As Greek experts epidemiologically monitor the advance of the extremely contagious COVID-19 Omicron variant, the steep rise in the positivity rate, which was near 25 percent yesterday, is for many cause for alarm.

One in four people who took a diagnostic tests were found to be positive.

Three weeks ago, on 14 December, the positivity rate was just one percent (one per 100 rapid or PCR tests turned out positive).

Just one week ago, on 30 December, the positivity rate was eight percent.

Athens University Rector and Professor of Medicine Athanasios Dimopoulos (photo) has said, that there is a major problem due to the fact that between 250,000-300,000 citizens over age 60 are unvaccinated.

Omicron variant milder, vax, testing crucial

“Despite the fact that it is compulsory [for people age 60 or over], there is still resistance,” he said.

“Obviously, when we speak of a milder disease we are referring to vaccinated people. However, based on the data from South Africa, where the age group is younger, we indeed see it is milder on unvaccinated as well. Speeding up the vaccine rollout is of exceptional importance,” Dimopoulos said.

“The data indicate that if self-tests and rapid tests are performed properly, they are substantially trustworthy. They will never reach the trustworthiness of a PCR test, but as a measure for the general monitoring of the population, it is the only solution we have,” he underlined.

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