The first fatality from influenza A in Cyprus this year was confirmed today at Nicosia general hospital, where a 43-year-old man succumbed to the virus while being treated in the intensive care unit.

Currently, five more patients remain hospitalised in ICUs across Nicosia, Limassol and Larnaca, suffering from influenza and other seasonal illnesses, with local hospitals under significant strain. According to a report from Philenews, departments of pathology, pulmonology and paediatrics are reported to be operating at full capacity due to a spike in cases.

“Unfortunately, we recorded the first death caused by influenza this year,” Okypy press spokesman Charalambos Charilaou stated.

“The number of hospitalised patients continues to rise, and we will certainly see more cases.”

According to Charilaou, while most hospitalisations are related to influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), Covid-19 cases persist, with daily fluctuations between 30 and 35 patients.

Health authorities are closely monitoring the situation, urging vulnerable groups to get vaccinated against seasonal illnesses to mitigate the spread and avoid further hospital admissions.