Is Romania bracing up for a new Covid-19 wave?

The second Omicron wave has arrived in Romania faster than the authorities expected

Daniela Budu, 13.07.2022, 14:00

The
number of new SARS-CoV-2 infections in Romania has doubled from one week to
another and so has the number of people admitted to hospitals and the fatalities
related. Almost 15 thousand new cases were reported last week and experts with
the National Public Health Institute believe the number of infections will
maintain its upward trend for another four-five weeks.

According
to Romania’s Health Minister Alexandru Rafila, the infection rate has now reached
12%, prompting authorities to report cases on a daily basis after a month when
the number of infections was presented only weekly. Experts believe the new subvariant, which
caused the present wave of infections at international level and has been
identified in Romania as well, diminishes the protection offered by the vaccine
and the immunity given by the disease but by and large doesn’t seem to cause
severe cases. The Health Minister recommends that people go back to the
prevention measures like face-covering and avoiding crowded places. He also has
recommendations for those showing Covid symptoms.

Alexandru Rafila: They can get tested by family physicians or
may call the ambulance depending on the case. If they test positive, they must
go into self-isolation at home or go to the doctor or the outpatient centers if
the symptoms are more visible. Patients with comorbidities and more severe
symptoms must be admitted to hospitals.

Although many test
centers have been closed down at the end of the latest wave of the pandemic,
Romanians still rely on more than 43 hundred locations where they can get
tested, including at their family physicians, some chemists, clinics and hospitals.

In
the meantime, health authorities in Romania are looking for sponsors for the
centers specialized in providing Covid-19 tests and treatment so that they may
offer services also at weekends in an attempt to keep the new wave of
infections at bay. 169 suchlike centers are being functional all over Romania.
Although these medical units aren’t very busy at present but as the number of
infections is expected to rise, they must be ready to test and treat their
patients.

Minister
Rafila recommends that anti-Covid vaccination begin in autumn, when a new
vaccine is expected to become available. In an interview to a private TV
channel the minister says that the present vaccine is no longer effective
against the new Omicron strains.

Alexandru Rafila: We are now facing the second Omicron wave
and the vaccine aimed at stopping the spreading is limited. We must be honest
so that we may increase people’s confidence in vaccination. Because if we are
telling them the truth now we can also tell them the truth every time, even when
the situation isn’t favourable like it is now or when it becomes favourable
again as we hope to be in autumn.

According
to doctor Rafila, the new vaccine is to arrive in Romania in September.

(bill)