5 million people vaccinated in Romania
A little over 30% of the Romanian population has been immunized against Covid-19
România Internațional, 02.08.2021, 14:00
The Delta variant of the coronavirus is spreading rapidly, alerting medical staff and authorities everywhere, who do not hesitate to call on those who have not yet been vaccinated to do it as soon as possible. Vaccination is the only sustainable way to stop the pandemic, experts say. While a year ago drastic restrictions were the way to gain time for vaccine development, now, although we have the vaccines, the Delta variant has changed the rules of the game. A higher percentage of population is needed, probably closer to 80-90%, compared to the 70% target set before the emergence of this much more contagious Indian mutation of the coronavirus.
The Delta variant is more transmissible than the viruses that cause MERS, SARS, Ebola, the common cold, seasonal flu and chickenpox, say the authors of a report by the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The latest studies conducted by the Center have also shown that the Delta variant produces a similar number of viruses in infected vaccinated people, as in the unvaccinated ones, and even the vaccinated ones can transmit the Delta variant quite easily.
So far, it seems that the number of infections among those vaccinated is lower, and they have developed mild forms of the disease. The number of new cases reported is growing by the day and, with them, slowly, the pressure on the medical system, which means that the pace of vaccination is not fast enough. This is also the case in Romania, where the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic has resumed its growing trend. Figures are still relatively low, somewhere around 500 coronavirus patients in hospitals, of whom several dozens in intensive care, but these numbers are increasing every day. Last week, the total number of new cases was almost two thirds higher than in the previous interval, a growth rate reported for the previous week as well.
Despite repeated warnings about the imminence of a new wave of infections, the pace of vaccination has not changed significantly. Actually, it has slightly decreased compared to the previous week. The data show that Romania has only recently managed to exceed the threshold of 5 million people that got at least one dose of an anti-COVID-19 serum, a target initially set by the authorities for the beginning of summer.
The vaccination against COVID-19 must continue, the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Interior, Raed Arafat, has urged. “We saw a steep growth at the beginning, after which the population started to be more reluctant to get the jab. Maybe because some saw that the number of new infections was going down, but now they will see that this number will go up, unfortunately.
Given that a fourth wave of the pandemic is deemed inevitable in Romania as well, authorities are discussing possible scenarios that will not entail disrupting indoor activities in the future. (MI)
