67 Healthcare workers and 9 patients infected at Dedinje Institute: No room at the COVID hospital

* Of the infected staff, 11 are doctors * The infected patients could not be transferred to a COVID hospital last night because there was no room

At the Dedinje Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases, coronavirus has been confirmed in 67 healthcare professionals and 9 patients, the director of the institution, Professor Dr, Milovan Bojic, has told Telegraf.rs.

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At this institute, as we reported during the weekend, late last week, coronavirus was confirmed in four patients who developed fever after surgery.

For safety reasons, all patients who were on the second floor where as well as any employees who were in contact with them were immediately tested for the virus.

"Out of 250 health professionals and patients tested, we received 67 positive results for healthcare professionals and 9 for patients ," Dr. Bojic told Telegraf.rs.

According to him, of the Institute's infected staff, 11 are doctors.

"The rest are nurses, technicians and support staff. Six of them have mild symptoms and the rest are asymptomatic. All of them were immediately excluded from the work process and were advised to report to the competent epidemiologist," says Dr Bojic.

He says that the infected patients could not be transferred to a COVID hospital last night because there was no room.

According to him, the conclusion is that asymptomatic patients were the ones bring the infection into the hospital, and that their treatment at the Institute is provided in the regular protective equipment.

"So the infection spreads in that way. There is also the conclusion that interventions in cardiovascular patients can only be done in COVID protective equipment, as well as if prior patient testing is possible," says Dr. Bojic.

(LJ. Racic - lj.racic@telegraf.rs)