With the continued Coronavirus cases in Greece, this article outlines a lot of helpful information including steps to protect yourself, symptoms, and where to get tested.
Click here to learn more about goverment enforced measures to contain the spread of the virus.
Click here to read about how to get vaccinated for COVID-19 in Greece.
Get A Daily Update On COVID-19 Cases In GreeceGet a daily update on the course of the coronavirus pandemic in Greece. The data is updated daily according to the official announcements of the Greek Ministry of Health.
To stay up-to-date, please visit
covid19.gov.gr
When To Seek Medical Care
Please stay home (initially) if you feel unwell, it will protect you and help prevent spreading the virus and other infections.
If you have symptoms of the coronavirus (see below) and believe that you may have come into contact with an infected individual, you are
urged to stay home and to
contact your doctor immediately or
the EODY (Greece's National Public Health Organization) at
210 5212054 or the
telephone hotline 1135 for accurate instructions and information on where to seek treatment.
It is vital that you seek medical attention quickly, but do so immediately from your home. In order to contain the spread to others, authorities in Greece have dedicated specific hospitals and health facilities for coronavirus cases.
Where To Get Tested For Covid-19 In Athens
There are multiple ways to get tested and the following are a couple of these to help you in your research and decision process.
If you have health coverage from the Greek state (you hold a valid AMKA number), you can call 14900 and book an appointment for a FREE COVID TEST at your local clinic. This service is only available in Greek.
There are several private clinics throughout the city that offer testing for a charge typical in the range of €40-€80. Some of these include:
Bioiatriki - appointment is required, results typically within 48 hours, service in English (website is in Greek), call 210 6966000.
Central Clinic of Athens - appointment is required, results typically within 24 hours, service in English, call 2103674110.
Athens Medical Group - appointment is required, results typically within 48 hours, service in English.
Steps To Stay Safe Against The Coronavirus In Greece
The World Health Organization
(WHO) shares some necessary protective measures against the coronavirus and advises people to take care of their health and protect others by
using these methods; also, these important
tips on when and how to use a mask.
Following are the recommended protective measures:
1. Wash Your Hands Well & Frequently
Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them carefully with soap and water. Remember to wash hands when cooking, helping sick individuals, and after contact with animals.
2. Maintain Social Distancing
Keep at least 1 meter (at least 3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing. Be extra careful of the elderly and indiviuals with chronic illness.
3. Avoid Touching Your Eyes, Nose, And Mouth
Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth; from there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick.
4. Practice Respiratory Hygiene
Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory etiquette. Make sure you cover your mouth and nose with your elbow or with a tissue when you cough or sneeze; properly dispose of the used tissue immediately and wash or sanitize your hands following.
How To Use A Mask
Even though masks should be used as part of a comprehensive strategy of measures to suppress transmission, the use of a mask alone cannot provide an adequate level of protection against COVID-19.
Here are the basics of how to wear a mask:
1. Make sure to clean your hands before you put your mask on, as well as before and after you take it off.
2. Make sure your mask covers your nose, mouth, and chin.
Here are some specifics on what type of mask to wear, depending on where you go and who you are.
Wear a fabric mask unless you’re in a particular risk group. This is especially important when you can’t stay physically distanced, particularly in crowded and poorly ventilated indoor settings.
Wear a medical/surgical mask if you are over 60, have underlying medical conditions, are feeling unwell, and/or looking after an ill family member.
Symptoms Of The Coronavirus
If a person becomes infected with the virus, they can develop symptoms that range from mild, such as the common cold, to very serious. As with other respiratory infections, infection of COVID-19 can cause mild symptoms, such as:
· Collapse
· Sore throat
· Fever
· Cough
Some people may have serious symptoms such as:
· Pneumonia
· Difficulty breathing
It rarely leads to death. Elderly and people with underlying diseases (such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease) are more susceptible to developing serious symptoms.
Volunteer For Free COVID-19 TestingAbout 20,000 tests are performed daily by the public health system on people who have an increased chance of being exposed to the virus. The Greek government's goal is to significantly increase the number of tests by monitoring asymptomatic volunteers through the random selection of 12,000 citizens daily.
Your participation will give experts a better picture of the coronavirus in Greece and help contain its spread throughout the community. Fill in the following "COVID19 Free Test Application Form" to become a candidate for the COVID19 sample testing. The test will be carried-out with rapid antigen detection of the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Your participation is valuable. For you, for your neighbor, for your own people, for all of us.
Find more information about how to participate in the sample testing procedure please visit
testing.gov.gr (Information Available in Greek Only)
Important Notice from XpatAthens
It is important to remind our readers that XpatAthens is not in any way a media source. While we do our best to keep our readers informed, we advise you to consult Greek media outlets such as
ekathimerini.com,
amna.gr,
naftemporiki.gr, and
protothema.gr and/or international news sites for up-to-the-hour updates on the coronavirus. Be wise and stay safe.
