Kon about opening for weekends, celebrations: Most accurate answer about new measures: "We'll see"

Photo: Tanjug/Rade Prelic

It is good that the epidemiological curve is flattening, but the situation is still critical, primarily because of the hospitals that are full of patients, epidemiologist and member of the Crisis HQ Predrag Kon says for Pink. He points out that the healthcare system has been on the verge of its limits for some time, which makes the whole situation in Serbia even more difficult.

Recommended

He says that the curve is not falling quickly, and that it depends on our behavior, because if we reduce the transmission of the virus it will also reduce its strength.

"We had over 205 people on ventilators in July, and now for days we have had more than 300 patients on mechanical ventilation," says Dr. Kon.

He adds that there are still ventilators, but that the capacities for those who need intensive care have been exhausted.

About the new measures

When it comes to the new measures, Dr. Kon says that the medical part of the Crisis HQ is more restrictive on that issue, which is normal, because doctors cannot take economic issues into account.

"We can understand that the economy is important, but we cannot understand that it is more important than what we stand for: preserving health and protecting people from more severe forms of the disease. Fortunately, a balance is being established between these two issues, and the most accurate answer to the question of whether there will be new measures is, 'we'll see'," says Dr. Kon.

Relaxation of measures not realistic at the moment

When asked whether boutiques, beauty salons and the like will start working during the weekends, as some media are speculating, Dr. Kon said that these are "nice wishes, good intentions, he thinks the best about that, but it isn't realistic." He stressed that it is important to "relax" intensive care use in hospitals, to lower the curve, and only after that can we talk about a relaxation of measures.

"We all have the same wishes, above all for coronavirus to disappear. Reactions to the measures are different, but even those people who don't believe in the measures should be protected. Distrust in measures exists everywhere in the world, and we are trying to find the most favorable way to go through the epidemic as well and as painlessly as possible," says the epidemiologist.

On the eve of St. Nicholas - which is celebrated by a large number of Serbian families as their patron saint - Dr. Kon says that the medical part of the Crisis HQ is looking at how to protect people from virus transmission on the day of the feast.

"In this case, it is up to the conscience of those who celebrate. There are no new words, the virus is still extremely active and every celebration should be such where there is no infection. That is the essence," the epidemiologist told TV Pink.

Vaccination throughout the next year

Speaking about the upcoming vaccination, Dr. Kon says that's a complex job that will be carried out. Serbian institutions, such as the Batut Institute, have made an immunization plan, while the Drugs Agency, as a regulatory body, thoroughly controls the documentation of each batch of vaccines that are arriving and will be issuing safety certificates.

"Then the vaccination starts, which will be carried out throughout the next year. Priorities are important there, which is also very complex. Our priorities are medical workers, senior citizens, although I have not seen the immunization plan yet. It is said that social welfare institutions, the police, the army are on the list of priorities, but it will all depend on the quantities that will arrive," says Dr. Kon.

The Covid hospital in Batajnica became a valve to release pressure at a time when the problem could no longer be solved without serious consequences, says Dr. Kon. He points out that the situation with beds in hospitals is very serious, that the pressure is great and that the hospital in Batajnica means a lot.

"It's a great paradox that people are preparing to celebrate the New Year, while many are fighting for their lives. These are the people who don't want to know and are avoiding the truth, but that is also a human reaction. We should not condemn these people, but find a way to approach them. Being angry at such people and escalating this topic has no effect, that can only be counterproductive," says Dr. Kon.

(Telegraf.rs)