Filenews 16 November 2021 - by Marilena Panagi
In the private sector, seeking help, the CSO is turning. Once a week the Minister of Health will consult with the scientists to assess the situation and draw up a plan on the basis of which they will make decisions. The epidemiological indicators are rising, while the number of severely ill patients with coronavirus has doubled in just one ten days, with the Increased Care Units approaching their limits. That's the picture from yesterday's pandemic meeting.
According to the data cited, on November 8, there were 67 coronavirus patients in the hospitals and a week later their number reached 85, while more indicative of the situation is the occupancy in the Increased Care Units and the Intensive Care Unit. For the PPE on November 8, the number of hospitalized patients was 13 and yesterday, a week later it reached 26, while in the ICU the number of patients was on November 8, 9 and yesterday it had reached 15.
The data are recorded and monitored by the CySEC, which based on calculations estimates that in the coming days the number of hospitalized patients may become three digits again, while scientists monitor for their part all other epidemiological indicators.
For the time being, although some of the members of the Advisory Scientific Committee submitted specific suggestions, including the implementation of selftests in Cyprus, during the meeting they had with the Minister of Health Michalis Chatzipandelas. No decisions were officially taken to tighten the existing restrictions or to add new measures, however, the minister and scientists, signal that vaccination alone cannot stop the outbreak of cases and hospitalization of people, that has begun to be recorded in the last couple of weeks.
At the same time, the Council of Ministers decided to extend the third-dose booster vaccination to all adults, despite the fact that even at the ages of 50-59 years, many citizens do not yet have the six-month period required to elapse from their full vaccination.
The continuity cannot be predicted, the head of the TEU, Konstantinos Tsioutis, said in a statement yesterday, stressing the need "for proper preparation in order not to reach points that we unfortunately see other neighbouring countries experiencing".
Both the head of the TEU and the Minister of Health after the end of the meeting, which took place at the Ministry of Health, stressed the need for the implementation of all personal protection and distancing measures.
The Minister of Health, Michalis Hadjipantelas, characteristically mentioned that "we will stop the outbreak, if we first do the obvious and observe the protocols, if we keep distances, if we wear masks, if we ventilate our spaces". At the same time, he said, the emphasis will also be on boosting vaccination. We will try to strengthen the vaccination in the first and second doses and then in the third dose. We are trying to make a plan to go to schools to vaccinate students, as well as camps as well as on Saturday we will be doing a free attendance centre to promote both the first and second doses." At the same time, he denied information that the ministry of health and scientists have taken decisions to take measures that will only concern unvaccinated citizens, saying that "for this there has not been a recommendation from anyone".
For his part, the head of the TEU argued that "vaccination is only one tool and has an effectiveness, but this is reinforced by all other measures. The tests, the distances, the mask. I think every outbreak starts with behaviours, to give the message that we are not done and that we are not coming out of the pandemic. We certainly do not want to talk about measures and segregation among our fellow citizens.
During yesterday's meeting at the Ministry of Health, the representatives of the tracing unit analyzed the data as they result from the daily detection of new coronavirus cases and some of the members of the Advisory Scientific Committee asked for additional data in order to make a more qualitative analysis. At the same time, the Deputy Director of Pharmaceutical Services was asked to prepare more detailed data on vaccination and the type of side effects recorded in Cyprus.
Furthermore, an analysis of the epidemiological situation, as it has been formed, was carried out, while the Minister of Health asked the scientists to take a position on the decision taken earlier by the Council of Ministers to administer a third dose of vaccine to the entire adult population, explaining that for the implementation of this decision no specific dates and timetables have been set, since there is a requirement of 6 months from the receipt of the second dose.
"The majority of experts decided that we should slowly start giving the third dose after the six months have elapsed and also the majority decided that we should not impose any measures now but, we agreed that we will monitor the situation on a weekly basis, in meetings that will be held here and we will study the data every week," concluded the minister of health.
They filled the hospitals, the CYSO addressed the private sector
The increase in the number of hospitalized patients with coronavirus and the simultaneous overcrowding of all pathology departments of state hospitals due to the rest of the seasonal infections and the ICU due to the serious cases that have been admitted in recent times pose a risk to the smooth operation of the hospitals of the CySEC.
As the spokesman of the CySEC, Charalambos Charilaou, told "F", "we are now seeing an increase in the number of patients with coronavirus. In the PPE they have doubled and in the ICU as well. We cannot wait for the sequel without preparing ourselves. Let's not forget that in the ICU of Nicosia Hospital we have almost 30 other patients who are intubated after facing other health problems." So, he added, "it is imperative that we once again turn to the private sector to take care of patients who do not suffer from coronavirus."
As for coronavirus patients, he said that "35% -40% on a daily basis are people who received both doses of the vaccine." The average age in the wards is 63 years and in the ICU 61.
