The panic virus is spreading throughout Greece faster than the swine flu virus and with it we need to fight a battle as conscious as the one against H1N1. Doctors and epidemiologists warn the self-treatment or taking “Tami flu” can be as dangerous for one’s health as the swine flu itself. Meanwhile the Ministry of Health defined the list with the risk groups, which will receive a free vaccine against the new flu right after it is ready. According to the World Health Organization this will happen no earlier than October.

Today more than 200 new cases of swine flu were registered in Greece and so, the number of infected people with the new virus exceeded 520. Most cases are registered in the popular tourist destinations – Crete and the Aegean islands, and those are tourists, who come from countries, where the infection has spread. The second biggest group of infected people in Greece is the ones, who have travelled abroad and had gotten infected there. Following is the group of people who have gotten infected by being in contact with the above mentioned people. Based on data by epidemiologists about 10% of infection cases have gotten the virus under unexplainable circumstances.

The 35 year old man, who is still treated in the ER of the University hospital in Iraklio, Crete is in severe condition. Doctors managed to somehow stabilize his fever but unexpectedly his kidneys gave out. The man owns a tourist firm in Crete and doctors believe that he got infected from some of his clients. For experts it continues to be a mystery why a person without any chronic health problems like this patient, has become a victim of such complications.

Panic spread among the authorities in Greece when announcement came in, that a German luxury cruise line with 4500 people on board sailed away from Turkey to Pieria with three people on board, infected with the H1N1 virus. Only three doctors are working in Pieria port, who would not be able to manage treating possible patients, which number can be two or three digit. Meanwhile the minister of health Dimitris Avramopoulos appealed for people not to give in to the panic virus. He guaranteed that the state in ready to ensure enough vaccines, when they are ready. Free vaccines will receive doctors, public employees, because the country needs them in order to function correctly, and children.