Loncar: Serious fall is ahead of us, coronavirus could cross paths with seasonal flu

Photo: Ministry of Health

Minister of Health Zlatibor Loncar today visited and talked with health workers from the red zones of the Covid hospitals in Pozarevac, Smederevo, Paracin, Bor, Majdanpek, Zajecar, Paracin, Kladovo, Smederevska Palanka, Petrovac na Mlavi, Cuprija and Negotin.

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He said that currently 260 health workers are infected with coronavirus, 13 of whom are treated in the hospital, while the rest have a milder clinical picture.

On that occasion, the minister thanked the health and non-medical workers who are fighting in the red zones for the lives of patients sick with Covid 19.

Minister also stated that 247 people are currently infected in social protection institutions, and of whom 72 are employees.

Serious fall awaits us

"Coronavirus has not weakened, it is among us, but the measures we are implementing are yielding results and that is why we must not relax. A serious fall awaits us, when coronavirus could cross paths with seasonal flu," said Loncar.

As he said, until a safe and secure vaccine against coronavirus appears, the best protection is to implement the recommended measures - wearing masks, maintaining distance and hand hygiene.

The head of the pneumophthisiology department of the General Hospital in Paracin, Snezana Zlatkovic, thanked the minister for remembering the health workers' efforts in the fight against coronavirus. She said that the General Hospital in Paracin was included in the Covid system in the second peak and that 60 beds were set aside at that time, as well as that they received five respirators and a mobile X-ray device.

"The level of health services has been raised higher. We cared for patients with moderate to severe clinical picture at the hospital. We also received help in the form of staff, so that the number of health workers was twice as high as the usual number at the ward," said Zlatkovic.

She is satisfied that no health worker, nor the support staff in that ward got infected during the epidemic because, as she says, they had enough equipment from the beginning. She appealed on the citizens to be disciplined and receive the vaccine against the seasonal flu, because, as a pneumophthisiologist, she knows what could await us in the fall.

"It's important that we adhere to the measures, wear masks, avoid gatherings and family celebrations," she said.

Youngest patient in Pozarevac was 18

She added that the number of patients and examinations at the General Hospital in Paracin is decreasing, and that they may return to normal work regime mid next week.

The head of the Infectious Diseases Department in Pozarevac, Vesna Filipovic, says that the General Hospital in that town is the pillar of the health system of the Branicevo Disctrict, as well as that they entered the Covid system on July 6 and received 66 patients on the first day.

Not only patients from Pozarevac but also from Belgrade and other places in Serbia were treated there, she said.

She added that the youngest patient treated by them was 18 years old, and the oldest 95.

Currently, 61 patients are being treated at the General Hospital in Pozarevac.

(Telegraf.rs)