Serbia on threshold of new Covid wave, hospitals filling up: What do experts say, what's the good news?

Epidemiologist Tiodorovic and military hospital commander Udovicic are urging people to get vaccinated

The number of people hospitalized because of coronavirus is slowly increasing, and these are elderly patients with associated diseases. Daily statistics have been stagnant for some time with up to 2,000 new cases on average. Some companies and collectives are experiencing a collapse, some due to people having Covid symptoms, some due to many tests coming back positive. The question arises - are we facing a new Covid wave, or is this seasonal flu?

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Doctors tell Blic that we are at the beginning of a new wave that should not be dramatic, because the Omicron strain produces milder symptoms, but they also underline that the elderly are still at risk, and urge that vaccination be carried out by the end of October. As for seasonal flu, it can be a potential problem that will occur by the end of the year. Vaccination against the flu is also recommended.

Epidemiologist and member of the Crisis HQ, Professor Dr. Branislav Tiodorovic says that there are several factors at play, that coronavirus is still here, that the BA.5 strain is dominant, and that it does not cause a big problem for young people, but it can certainly force them to have to see their doctor. The elderly are the ones now in hospitals.

"What is happening right now is that our elderly and chronically ill people are getting sick, and we still have a high number of deaths. It would be good for our country to approve a bivalent Covid vaccine as soon as possible, regardless of the fact that there are different opinions, it would mean more to the elderly because it would protect them. Furthermore, as far as treatment is concerned, there is a drug registered by the European Agency (EMA), which provides monoclonal antibodies that work longer. It would also mean a lot if that medicine is given to people who may be at risk, so that they don't end up on a ventilator, so that their lives are not endangered, and it especially applies to those who for some reason did not receive the vaccine. That would be extremely important, and that would be my message," says Professor Tiodorovic.

Commander of the Karaburma Covid hospital, Dr. Ivo Udovicic explained that we are seeing a slight increase in the number of hospitalized people in Belgrade, but also across the rest of Serbia, there is more pressure on the triage center in Batajnica, as well as an increase in the percentage of infected people compared to the number of people tested on a daily basis. All this indicates that we are at the beginning of a new wave.

"Four months have passed since the start of the previous wave, which is how long effective protection lasts either after getting infected or vaccinated, and an increase in the number of infected people can be expected. What favors the virus are weather conditions but also that the majority of social activities are carried out indoors," says Dr. Udovicic.

He adds that it is to be expected that the wave that comes in the fall and winter will be stronger and bring more problems than the previous summer wave.

"In the first two years, we had significant virus mutations, from Alpha to Omicron, which fundamentally affected the entire society, the economy, our behavior and our lives. In this third year, we only have changes in the Omicron strain into different subtypes or variants, which on the one hand makes it easier for the virus to circulate and survive among us, diminishing the importance of the already created immunity. On the other hand, this Omicron strain gives a dominantly milder clinical form of the disease compared to all its predecessors, but this applies to the previously healthy population," says Dr. Udovicic.

The flu is coming - get vaccinated

The flu also represents danger, and according to the doctors, already in November and December people will be indoors and more exposed to Covid and the flu.

"I expect the flu at the end of the year when it will start slowly. For example, in 2020, it was rarely recorded, and when it isn't there, it always happens that there's a period after when it is more serious. Therefore, the call for vaccination stands, both against coronavirus and against the flu," adds Professor Tiodorovic.

(Telegraf.rs)