A 25-year-old Klaipėda resident has been hospitalized for a new strain of coronavirus: the age of the seriously ill is getting younger and younger

“In the 45 to 65 age group, about 40-41% of all people hospitalized in our hospital are,” Algirdas Pilvelis, coordinator of the Vilnius City Clinical Hospital for the treatment and organization of COVID-19.

The institution is concerned about the growing number of diseases. Almost a quarter of all Lithuanian COVID-19 patients are treated at the Vilnius City Clinical Hospital. On weekends, the situation becomes almost critical.

“It just came to our knowledge then. Every morning we meet about 90 percent. Occupancy of the bed. And on the weekends, because then the discharge decreases, the occupancy of the beds reaches almost 98%,” he said. A. Pilvelis.

The Vilnius Municipality is also looking forward to the weekend.

“On both Saturday and Sunday we discussed what to do, because at one point we did not have free beds in Vilnius,” recalled Lina Koriznienė, director of the municipal administration of Vilnius city.

Therefore, the patients were transported from Vilnius to Alytus or Druskininkai.

Although there are several times fewer new cases of COVID-19 than before Christmas, according to the municipality, the situation in medical institutions is no better.

“The situation is getting worse than it was a year ago, even before Christmas. Patients are aging significantly younger. Most of the patients are under the age of 60, ranging in age from 45 to 60. The majority of the patients are much younger, even children, ”said L. Koriznienė.

Therefore, the Vilnius City Council asks the Government to remove the age poster of the vaccinated population and to allow the vaccination of people over 55 years of age.

“Biologically, a 65-year-old person is little different from a 63 or 60-year-old. What we are achieving as a municipality, although we are not passing that legislation, are people of that age -60-63- who cannot be vaccinated, although others they are already that age. That dissatisfaction is enormous “, L. Koriznienė did not hide.

Young covid patients are not just a problem in the capital. The 22-year-old is currently being treated at the Klaipeda University Hospital. Another young patient even required artificial lung ventilation.

Klaipėda doctors also had to deal with a patient infected with a new strain of coronavirus.

“There are also young people: one is about 30 years old and there are about 90 years old.” There are different ages, – said Vinsas Janušonis, the chief physician of the Klaipėda University Hospital. – We first identified the Brazil-South Africa mixed variant in Klaipeda. I was 25 from Klaipeda. “

However, Kidida’s younger patients are not a reason for the government to vaccinate younger ones.

At the beginning of the week, Vilnius residents aged 55 and over were invited to register for vaccinations in the Vilnius City Municipality, as there were about 3,000 people left. AstraZeneca and 8,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine. However, the registration was canceled. The government ordered older people to get vaccinated first.

“It just came to our notice then. Of all the people who died from COVID-19, the absolute majority are people over the age of 65. That is a fact. That fact is not undeniable.

The fact is also that people of all ages are admitted to hospitals, they get sick in various ways. Even children fall. However, the probability of the worst result or the most serious form is still in this group, ”explained Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė.

The Prime Minister was called by Health Minister Arūnas Dulkys: people ‘.

On Thursday afternoon, in order to use COVID-19 vaccine residues as efficiently as possible, the Vilnius City Municipality invites Vilnius residents of the 55+ group to register for vaccination. Registration will be done at https://vakcina.vilnius.lt/ from Thursday at 8:00 p.m. and will continue until the vaccine residues have been depleted.