On Friday 17 April, the Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) reported 120 more coronavirus infections (koronavirus, in Finnish). With them, the total number of laboratory-diagnosed cases rose to 3,489.
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 Thursday 7 more deaths, bringing the total number of fatalities to 82.
The health agency has disclosed a few details regarding the age of 54 of the dead. There are 3 people dead under the age of 60; other 3 people aged 60-69; there are 18 people aged 70-79; there are 22 people aged 80-89 and 8 people over the age of 90 .
72% of the dead are men and 28% are women. The median age of the dead is 81 years.
Source: THL.
The most affected areas
Helsinki-Uusimaa remains the epicenter and region hardest hit by the epidemic. According to official figures, 2,224 cases of Covid-19 have been found in the capital metropolitan area. Of them, more than half in the city of Helsinki.
Of the 7 deaths reported on Thursday, 3 occurred in the Helsinki metropolitan area (HYKS), 3 in the Kuopio area (KYS) and 1 in Oulu region (OYS).
So far, the vast majority of the deaths (54 or 66%) recorded in Finland occurred in the hospital area of Helsinki-Uusimaa.
The Helsinki-Uusimaa region also remains the region with the highest incidence of infections: 132 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 111 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
Olemme jälleen päivittäneet #koronavirus tilannekatsauksen (pe 17.4. klo 16.05). Tällä hetkellä Suomessa on
— THL (@THLorg) April 17, 2020
🔶testattuja näytteitä n. 52 500
🔶varmistettuja tapauksia 3 489
🔶sairaalahoidossa 208
🔶heistä tehohoidossa 73
🔶menehtyneitä 82
Lue lisää ➡https://t.co/LhRKX8EJdu pic.twitter.com/6wfCqu5fJj
Intensive care
On Friday, the official number of patients hospitalized due to coronavirus was 208. And the number of people admitted to intensive care units was 73.
In relation to the total Finnish population (5,543,233), the average incidence rate is 63 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
According to a preliminary estimate by THL, there are at least 1,700 people who may have already recovered from the disease.
To date, Finnish laboratories have taken samples from approximately 52,500 people.
