Sixty people with symptoms of viral gastroenteritis were urgently admitted to a hospital in Crete on Tuesday.
Speaking to Greek TV station Open, the president of the Athens and Piraeus Hospital Doctors Association (EINAP), Matina Pagoni, clarified it was a norovirus, which lasts around three days. “To avoid alarming the public, let’s make it clear that this is viral gastroenteritis, not bacterial,” she emphasized.
While Pagoni said the symptoms were very distressing, involving constant vomiting and diarrhea, she explained that no special medication was necessary, as regular hydration for the patients was sufficient.
The president of the Panhellenic Federation of Public Hospital Workers (POEDIN), Michalis Giannakos, said until Monday morning, 43 people had been rushed to the Emergency Unit of Chania Hospital, including 23 students aged 18 to 23 from the Polytechnic School.
After the relevant tests, he stated, it was confirmed that the symptoms of the patients in Crete were due to viral gastroenteritis with high transmissibility. “Until last night (Monday), when I spoke with the hospital, the situation had stabilized, but another 17 cases had arrived,” Giannakos noted.
