Hospital facilities are being filled with hundreds of coronavirus-infected patients. Health institutions warn that the situation is serious. Entity crisis headquarters are urging citizens to be extra vigilant.
The health institutions are rightly worried about what will happen in the next period. Although there is a vaccine, there are not enough vaccinated citizens. The number of patients is growing, and the clinical picture of patients is serious.
Ismet Gavrankapetanovic, General Hospital “Prim. dr. Abdulah Nakas ”:
“What characterizes this wave is that complications develop very quickly, which is why we have a large number of patients in intensive care units. This morning, 16 patients are in intensive care, a large number of patients are on a respirator and on high oxygen flows. “
The condition is also serious at the University Clinical Hospital Mostar. Capacities are filling up. A special floor of the hospital was redirected to Covid patients. No improvement is expected, given that there is an insufficient number of vaccinated.
Ante Kveesic, director of SKB Mostar
“What is happening this time is that people are entering the respirator directly, which is quite worrying, the clinical picture lasts longer, more seriously and we have mortality that is not to be underestimated. What I do know is that people are not vaccinated and that they have terribly underestimated what is happening. ”
New cases of coronavirus infection have been reported in all cantons in the Federation. The population is recommended to limit their movements, and in case of symptoms, to stay at home and call the competent doctor by phone.
The entity crisis headquarters emphasize that in the coming period it is important to preserve health capacities, as well as the possibility for all patients to be taken care of, diagnosed, and to reduce morbidity and mortality.
Aida Pilav, a member of the Crisis Staff of the Ministry of Health of the Canton Sarajevo (CS), said that the CS is in the “red zone” due to the increase in the number of newly infected, but also that the Crisis Staff will introduce new recommendations if that growth becomes higher. Their proposal is that children go to school but that the last option for them is to attend online classes.
Assessing the current epidemiological situation in CS, she explained on Tuesday that the bulletin showed that out of 1.143 who had a PCR test, 14 percent were newly infected. She said that looking at those data, such indicators put CS between the 3rd and 4th level of the local transmission. “We fit into the so-called ‘red zone’. I will not say that we are worried about that, we expected that, considering the growth in the region. The fourth wave is underway and that is not unexpected for us. Our hospitals are slowly filling up. We don’t have patients on a respirator this morning, but there are those who are on non-invasive mechanical ventilation, ” Pilav pointed out on Tuesday.
What if there is a higher number of newly infected people?
Also, she stated that it is difficult to predict when the peak of this wave will occur, but it is certain that there will be a significant increase in the number of infected people in the following weeks.
Pilav noted that if there is an increase in the number of newly infected, it will probably be recommended that people work online, more precisely those who are in the office, but also that they will persist in keeping schools open for as long as possible. She added that if there is exponential growth, then it is likely to start with online teaching.
While speaking about the third dose of the coronavirus vaccine, Pilav told that the application of that dose started in some countries of the world after six months of receiving the second dose, but that the European Agency has not yet confirmed the third dose, but that if there is such a recommendation, it will probably be practiced in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) as well, Bukawrites.