On Monday 20 April, the Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) reported 85 more coronavirus (koronavirus, in Finnish) infections. With them, the total number of laboratory-diagnosed cases rose to 3,868.
However, the actual figures are likely to be higher, as people with mild symptoms are not generally tested. In Finland the percentage of tests carried out by the laboratories remains low and limited to risk groups, mainly health care workers.
THL also reported on Sunday 4 more deaths, bringing the total number of fatalities to 98.
However, this number does not include the deaths occurred out of hospitals, for example those of elderly people who died in nursing homes. "The total does not currently cover all out-of-hospital deaths," says the health agency.
THL said it would start giving the total numbers this week, including patients who died outside of hospitals. That is likely to greatly increase the total death toll, as the city of Helsinki alone has said there are dozens of unreported deaths.
The health agency has disclosed a few details regarding the age of 75 of the dead. There are 4 people dead under the age of 60; other 4 people aged 60-69; there are 21 people aged 70-79; there are 33 people aged 80-89 and 13 people over the age of 90 .
68% of the dead are men and 32% are women. The median age of the dead is 82 years.
Source: THL.
New deaths in Helsinki and Kuopio
Helsinki-Uusimaa remains the epicenter and region hardest hit by the epidemic. According to official figures, to date, 2,526 cases of Covid-19 have been found in the capital metropolitan area. Of them, 1,436 in the city of Helsinki.
Of the 4 deaths reported on Monday, 3 occurred in the Helsinki metropolitan area (HYKS), and 1 in the Kuopio area (KYS).
So far, the vast majority of the deaths (68%) recorded in Finland occurred in the region of Helsinki.
The Helsinki-Uusimaa region also remains the region with the highest incidence of infections: 150 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
The region with the second highest incidence of the virus is North West Finland (Länsi Pohja), at the Swedish border, which has 123 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
Olemme jälleen päivittäneet #koronavirus -tilannekatsauksen (ma 20.4. klo 15.15). Tällä hetkellä Suomessa on
— THL (@THLorg) April 20, 2020
🔹testattuja näytteitä n. 59 200
🔹varmistettuja tapauksia 3 868
🔹sairaalahoidossa 209
🔹heistä tehohoidossa 67
🔹menehtyneitä 98
Lue lisää ⬇https://t.co/LhRKX8EJdu pic.twitter.com/H50K22JQuN
67 in intensive care units
On Monday, the official number of patients hospitalized due to coronavirus was 209. And the number of people admitted to intensive care units was 67.
In relation to the total Finnish population (5,543,233), the average incidence rate is 70 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
According to a preliminary estimate by THL, there are at least 2,000 people who may have already recovered from the disease.
To date, Finnish laboratories have taken samples from approximately 59,200 people.
