Sotiris Tsiodras

Sotiris Tsiodras (Greek: Σωτήρης Τσιόδρας; born 13 October 1965) is a Greek internal medicine physician, specializing in infectology (infectious diseases), in charge of Greece's management of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 crisis.

Doctor

Sotiris Tsiodras
Leader of team charged with managing the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in Greece
Government liaison officer on coronavirus pandemic
Personal details
Born (1965-10-13) 13 October 1965
Sydney, Australia
NationalityGreek
Spouse(s)Mina
Children7
Alma materUniversity of Athens
ProfessionPhysician, internist and infectious disease specialist

Early years and education

Tsiodras was born on 13 October 1965 in Sydney, Australia, into an immigrant family originating from Neohori, Argolis.[1] After the family moved back to Greece, he enrolled into the Ioannina medical school and then transferred to the University of Athens from which he graduated in March 1991 as a pathologist.[2]

Medical career

In 1993, Tsiodras was assigned to the 401 General Military Hospital of Athens where he served for one year. During the years 1994–1997, he worked as an internal medicine specialist specializing in Internal Medicine at the Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia in the United States. From 1997 to 2001, he enrolled in the programs for infectious diseases at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School. Between 1998 and 2001, he worked as a research fellow at Harvard Medical School from which he received a Medical Sciences M.A in June 2001.[3]

In 2003, he defended cum laude his doctoral dissertation at the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.[4]

COVID-19 pandemic in Greece

In 2020, the government appointed a group of experts to coordinate the country's management of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Greece.[5] Tsiodras was appointed as the team's leader as well as the government's communications liaison for the COVID-19 health crisis.[6][7]

On 4 May 2020, Tsiodras stated that, among the various ways for counting covid-19 victims, the Greek competent authorities have chosen to follow the one for counting influenza victims, admitting that this might result in listing "some more [deaths and] not fewer," because this process counts as deaths from covid-19 the deaths of all patients with covid-19. The process is "dynamic," he added, noting that there is not yet a worldwide established process for countind covid-19 deaths. [8]

Media coverage

Le Figaro claimed that Tsiodras was the "new beloved of Greeks".[9] In the article, Le Figaro claims that he asked Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for strict lockdown measures as soon as the first cases were reported in Italy. Greek sociologist Andreas Drymiotis wrote: "Greeks particularly appreciate his calm, his knowledge on the matter, and his deep respect for all victims and the fact that he has an unbreakable dedication to nursing staff."[10] Moreover, a journalist, Matina Stevis-Gridneff, from The New York Times described him as one of the "Heroes of the Coronavirus Era".[7]

Controversies and Criticism

Overcounting of deaths from COVID-19 in Greece

On 4 May 2020, Sotiris Tsiodras, the head of the committee of special infectious diseases specialists of the Hellenic Ministry of Health, publicly admitted in the daily television briefing about the COVID-19 pandemic in Greece, that the Greek authorities were overwriting the deaths of COVID-19. In fact, he stated that every death in Greece with the presence of the new coronavirus SARScov2 in the deceased was recorded as death by COVID-19, he even mentioned a case of cerebral hemorrhage which was registered as death by COVID-19. Tsiodras defended this way of recording, although several European states and the USA did not implement it.[11]

Involvement in a H1N1 flu vaccine and drugs scandal

According to press reports for the period 2009-2010, Sotiris Tsiodras is involved as a rapporteur of the Center for Control of Special Infections in excessive purchases of vaccines and drugs for H1N1 flu under the Minister of Health Dimitris Avramopoulos and the Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis. Specifically, Tsiodras is said to have suggested the purchase of 24 million vaccines with plus antiviral drugs with total cost 234 million Euros from companies Roche and Glaxo Smithkline for the Greek population of 10 million, when Italy with 60 million population ordered 24 million vaccines and Germany of 80 million population ordered 50 million vaccines. The great majority of these vaccines were not used and were dumped in landfills while some orders were canceled by the Minister of Health Mariliza Xenogiannakopoulou of the next PASOK government with the Prime Minister of George Papandreou in 2011. The case is being investigated in the context of the fight against corruption.[12][13][14][15]

Personal life

Tsiodras in general has a conservative lifestyle, is a practicing Orthodox Christian, an aficionado of Byzantine hymnology, and a member of his local church's choir and he has seven children.[2]

See also

References
  1. "'Προσευχόμαστε γιά το παιδί μας': Οι γονείς τού Σωτήρη Τσιόδρα μιλούν γιά τον γιό τους" ['We are praying for our child': Sotiris Tsiodras' parents talks about their son]. Arcadia portal (in Greek). Greece. 22 March 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  2. "Κορωνοϊός: Ποιος είναι ο λοιμωξιολόγος Σωτήρης Τσιόδρας που κέρδισε την εμπιστοσύνη των Ελλήνων" [Coronavirus: Who is the Greek infectiologist who has won the trust of Greeks]. I Efimerida (in Greek). Athens. 6 April 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  3. "Sydney-born immunologist Sotiris Tsiodras, the 'voice' of coronavirus in Greece". New World. Australia. 24 March 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  4. Tsiodras, Sotiris (2003). "Effect of protease inhibitors on the metabolic syndrome of patients with HIV infection". National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. doi:10.12681/eadd/13581. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  5. "Οδηγίες απο τον λοιμωξιολόγο Σωτήρη Τσιόδρα για την προστασία των ευπαθών ομάδων από τον κορονοϊό" [Directions from infectiologist Sotiris Tsiodras on the protection of vulnerable groups from the coronavirus]. Huffington Post (in Greek). Athens. 3 March 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  6. "'Nick Hard' and the soft-spoken professor keeping Greeks virus-safe". Radio France Internationale. Paris. 6 April 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  7. Stevis-Gridneff, Matina (5 April 2020). "The Rising Heroes of the Coronavirus Era? Nations' Top Scientists". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  8. "Τσιόδρας: Ρισκάρουμε να καταγράφουμε περισσότερους θανάτους" [Tsiodras: We risj listing more deaths]. Protagon (in Greek). 5 May 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  9. Kefalas, Alexia (20 March 2020). "L'infectiologue Sotirios Tsiodras, nouvelle coqueluche des Grecs". Le Figaro.fr (in French).
  10. "Sydney-born immunologist Sotiris Tsiodras, the 'voice' of coronavirus in Greece". Neos Kosmos. 24 March 2020.
  11. <https://www.protagon.gr/epikairotita/tsiodras-riskaroume-na-katagrafoume-perissoterous-thanatous-44342048580
  12. https://mydimosio.gr/eidiseis/o-tsiodras-o-avramopoylos-to-skandalo-ton-emvolion
  13. https://kourdistoportocali.com/news-desk/otan-o-sotiris-tsiodras-kai-to-keelpno-protagonistoyse-stin-agora-ton-ekatommyrion-emvolion/
  14. https://www.tanea.gr/2009/06/16/greece/kokteil-emboliwn-gia-toys-ilikiwmenoys/
  15. https://crashonline.gr/paraskinio/1458243/krataei-chronia-afti-i-kolonia-diafores-kai-omoiotites-me-to-2009-kai-ta-24-ek-emvolia/
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