"Worrying that number of people on ventilators isn't dropping": Doctors on consequences after skiing

What we all had the opportunity to see in previous days is that the number of new cases is somewhat lower, which allowed us to exclude KBC Bezanijska Kosa from the Covid system, Dr. Goran Stevanovic said today after a meeting with Minister of Health Zlatibor Loncar and other directors of Covid hospitals.

"Unfortunately, I am not sure that we will be able to continue excluding hospitals at this pace," he added.

As he says, the influx of positive and new patients is stable.

"One of them (new patients) was in contact with ski resorts and winter resorts, but not directly, instead the younger ones who were skiing had some difficulties, and then the older ones come with more severe clinical pictures," Stevanovic pointed out.

He also warned that one dose of the vaccine is not enough to acquire immunity, and that it takes at least 10 to 15 days after the second dose for a person to become immune to coronavirus. This means that it is necessary to strictly adhere to preventive measures.

"It's important because of other respiratory infections, even when we are vaccinated, these preventivr measures in places with a large number of people, mask wearing... should remain in force," he added.

As the numbers and the need for hospital beds change, further reduction of Covid capacities will be considered.

"That is our desire, to have as few patients with Covid as possible and to dedicate ourselves to patients who do not have Covid," he added.

The Bezanijska Kosa Hospital has already started transfering patients who need to continue treatment yesterday and discharge those who are cured.

"Disinfection of the hospital will follow, which will last 4-5 days. KBC Zvezdara has been working at full non-Covid capacity since Monday," said Stevanovic.

Djerlek: Number of patients ventilators not declining, which reduces the value of vaccination

"We finished the meeting with Minister of Health Zlatibor Loncar. We had conversations on several topics, what worries us in the Ministry of Health is that the number of new cases and the number of patients on ventilators is not declining. This means that we must be very careful, respect epidemiological measures, wear masks and keep our distance. All that reduces the value of vaccination," said Dr. Mirsad Djerlek.

Djerlek added that a large procurement for health institutions in Serbia is underway.

"What is especially important, which the minister stressed, is that there are currently several tenders for the procurement of a large amount of equipment for all healthcare institutions in Serbia. Monitors, ultrasound machines, scanners, magnetic resonance imaging. This is about hundreds of millions, it hasn't happened in the last 20-30 years to renovate and renew equipment in all healthcare institutions in Serbia."

Djerlek pleaded with citizens not to give in to the euphoria of vaccination, and to continue to respect epidemiological measures, because there is still a long way to go, which is a controlled epidemiological situation.

"Covid seesaw"

As Djerlek said, the number of people in hospitals varies to around 4,000, but this is a "Covid seesaws" because that number is maintained. Compared to the previous period, the situation is much more favorable, but...

"We are not satisfied with those numbers, those numbers are still high and the number of people on ventilators, from 135 to 145, is still something that worries us and we have to be serious in that situation. That is why we have frequent meetings with directors of Covid hospitals. We have to be careful because coronavirus surprised us many times," he said.

(Telegraf.rs)