The Croatian Health Insurance Fund (HZZO) paid HRK 269 million for sick leave, isolation and treatment since the start of the coronavirus pandemic until 4 December, and another HRK 296 million from 4 December to 22 January, Croatian Jutarnji List daily reported on Monday.

In less than a year, the coronavirus epidemic cost the health system more than HRK 1.2 billion, the daily said, with HRK 1,239,701 spent until 22 January.

Testing accounted for the largest expense (HRK 674 million), followed by treatment (over HRK 450m), and sick leave and isolation (HRK 115m).

During the first six months of the epidemic, from March to September, HRK 258 million was spent on testing, treatment, sick leave and isolation, which means the second wave cost almost HRK 1 billion, the daily said.

In the first wave, a maximum 800 people were tested daily, resulting in markedly lower testing costs, while later there were periods when over 11,000 people were tested per day.

From early September to 4 December, costs went up by HRK 508.1 million. In the week of 20-27 December, they went up by HRK 50 million and the following week by HRK 80 million. From 4 to 22 December, costs increased by HRK 473.4 million.

Still, trends are changing and the current testing costs are increasingly low. The highest expense comes from treatment, more than doubling in the past seven weeks, when sick leave and isolation expenses almost doubled.

The past two months have been the most critical in terms of hospitalisations and gravely sick people. But if the positive trends registered in recent weeks continue, a milder growth of expenses may be expected.

The number of hospitalisations has dropped by half to about 1,500, as has the number of patients on ventilators to 150. New infections and tests are also decreasing in number, Jutarnji List said.

(€1 = HRK 7.5)