Seasonal viruses overload emergency rooms: queues and waiting hours at ERs

State hospitals in Cyprus are recording a noticeable increase in visits to emergency departments (ERs): due to the surge in seasonal infections, patients often wait for hours before being seen. The situation is worsened by the holidays — personal doctors are not available, and people more often go directly to the ER.

Doctors note that influenza A cases currently prevail, to a lesser extent — coronavirus, and there are many visits due to gastroenteritis.

Additional pressure comes from ambulance calls: according to the service, from December 24–26, there were 422 emergency calls nationwide, 172 of them in Nicosia. To ease the ER load, hospitals are using "fast track/service rooms" for non-urgent cases. Medical staff ask patients to remain patient and remember that care is provided according to a strict priority system.