Romania’s Healthcare Minister has again cautioned against the novel coronavirus

The Romanian Health Minister has again drawn attention to the need for the observance of the prevention rules to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus

Eugen Coroianu, 14.08.2020, 14:00

Romania has
lately seen an increase in the number of Covid-19 infections although the chart
of the daily infections has hit a certain ceiling. Pundits believe the main
problem is the pressure exerted upon the country’s healthcare system whose specialised
personnel are tired and scarce. The
daily death toll has also increased from one day to another and so has the
number of those in need of intensive care to survive the severe forms of
Covid-19. Health Minister Nelu Tataru believes the number of infections will
increase in the next week mainly because of the holiday season.

Nelu
Tataru: With the holiday season in full
swing now we are presently dealing with a higher number of cases. We are doing
a lot of tests and consequently we expect many of these to be positive. We must
clinically deal with these positive tests, and address the medium and severe,
which are going to need intensive care treatment, where our resources are
limited.

Romania
presently has 100 places in intensive care units fitted with ventilators. In
this context, the minister has pointed out that prevention rules must be
observed in order to limit the spreading of the virus. He has voiced hope that
people have understood the importance of this moment and are no longer
minimizing the situation.

As long as
we have new cases, the medical personnel that we now rely on will be
overwhelmed. And since prevention rules aren’t observed, we can only handle
what we get in hospitals. We have a limit, the minister says adding that a
pandemic is not stopped in hospitals but outside them.

The
minister has also recalled that the government had to also handle a period of
legislation vacuum during which over 46 hundred people infected refused hospitalisation
and left hospitals. Authorities are now trying to identify these people in
order to conduct epidemiological investigations. Those showing symptoms are
being hospitalised, while those who do not have symptoms are being tested by
paramedics and other mobile units and isolated at home.

In another
development, a monograph titled ‘The Covid-19 pandemic in Romania – Clinical
and epidemiological aspects’ was released on Thursday by the Romanian Academy
Publishing House. Attending the event, the country’s Health Minister underlined
the support offered by the Academy is essential and gave assurances the medical
personnel are doing their job in spite of the fatigue they are currently
experiencing.

According
to Horatiu Moldovan, state secretary with the Ministry of Healthcare, the
volume represents a major element of scientific research, which comes to
indisputably prove and endorse the measures taken during the pandemic in
Romania. The work also includes a synthesis of scientific data gleaned
internationally and corroborated with clinical expertise and research of some
of the most reputed scientists Romania has.

(translated by bill)