Norovirus outbreak at Attikon hospital in Athens

An outbreak of norovirus has been reported at the Attikon University General Hospital in Athens, triggering conflicting accounts between management and hospital staff. The administration, led by hospital manager Sp. Apostolopoulos and professors Sp. Pournaras and Sot. Tsiodras, stated that the incident is in recession, with only five new cases recorded between May 25 and May 28. Management asserts that the hospital continues to operate safely and normally under strict infection control protocols. Conversely, the employees' union reports a total of 24 cases involving patients, staff, and visitors. The union argues that systemic issues such as overcrowding, the use of stretchers in corridors, and understaffing make isolation measures impossible to enforce effectively. Consequently, the union has formally requested that the Ministry of Health exempt the facility from its general duty shift scheduled for May 30 to allow for containment. Affected patients have been isolated and are currently asymptomatic, according to official reports.