Doctor Pelemis: Nobody's beaten this virus, maybe a vaccine will

Serbia is still in a difficult but stable epidemiological situation, says infectologist and member of the Crisis HQ Professor Mijomir Pelemis, and adds that hospitals are still overburdened, but that there will be enough room to take care of all coronavirus patients during the weekend.

"I believe there will be no reason to move patients from Belgrade to other areas and vice versa. All hospitals have enough beds to receive new patients, because more patients are getting discharged than admitted," said Pelemis.

He told reporters, after a meeting Minister of Health Zlatibor Loncar had withe directors of Covid hospitals, that the number of infected patients in Serbia is at a high but stable level and that it is not yet time to say that the situation is favorable.

"We are in a difficult but stable situation. We insist that prevention measures continue to be strictly implemented, such as wearing masks, physical distancing, and washing hands. That is the only thing that can stop the infection," he stated.

He recalled that there is no cure for coronavirus and that a vaccine is still in the testing phase, so there is no room to relax and for someone to think that the virus has been defeated.

"Nobody's beaten this virus. Maybe a vaccine will beat it," he stated.

He remarked that in this period, the number of elderly patients has increased and that what the doctors had warned about this happening.

"We had been warning that young people would get infected, and then transmit the infection to the elderly, who have been taking care of themselves. This is a consequence of socializing and ignoring preventive measures," he said.

He stated that there will be more and more patients in serious condition in the hospitals.

"As long as there are a lot of patients in intensive care units in hospitals and on ventilators, Serbia will not have a favorable situation," Pelemis stressed.

Asked how come coronavirus is not destroyed by high temperatures and UV radiation, he said that this virus is completely new, while according to the clinical practice, the rule is usually that high temperatures would kill a virus.

"However, everyone forgets about enteroviruses, popularly known as stomach viruses. They appear in the summer months, so this is not the only virus that survives in high temperatures," he concluded.

(Telegraf.rs/Tanjug)