Two scenarios in front of Serbia
In November, two scenarios await us, the first is to respect the measures and keep the situation under control, the second is the opposite.
Source: Blic
Since the coronavirus' outburst is happening around Serbia, the introduction of the PCR test upon entering our country is being considered, Blic writes.
Prof. Dr Branislav Tiodorović, epidemiologist and member of the Crisis Staff for the suppression of COVID-19 infection, says for that paper that a good part of the population respects the measures and they should be praised because thanks to disciplined and responsible people we are the best in Europe.
"On the other hand, the smaller percentage who do not respect the measures, these people should ponder upon their behaviour. This refers to certain organizers of music events, gatherings, places where people gather without respecting the measures. Let's be clear, I still advocate for holding cultural events, let's say why close the theater? I will cite Nis as an example, when a slight increase in the number of newly infected comes from the factory "Jura". The reason why the virus is transmitting easily somewhere, for example, Croatia and Slovenia, they had a large tourist influx from European countries during the summer months, they had a significant reduction in measures, and those measures that were relaxed are now being reintroduced with the price that they had to pay", he said.
It is being considered to introduce PCR for everyone who enters the country or a test that proves the presence of antibodies, i.e. that a person who enters our country has had coronavirus. Yes, we will have a problem with our people living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, but we cannot introduce a measure for some and not for others. Why it is important that the measures apply to everyone, I will illustrate with the example of Vranje, they now have a slight increase in new infections, but as all obstacles to Macedonia are removed, they go there, trade, and then the number increases after returning to the country. I think that we should think in that direction and act directly on the problem, because everyone can find out why something is happening, so it is necessary to introduce stronger control.
When asked what awaits us in the coming months, when the epidemiological situation is in question, Dr Tiodorović points out that November and December are coming, which are cold months, and higher humidity suits the virus.
"We will certainly have an increase in the number of infected. Now it is very important to use this period to keep the trend with a smaller number of infected. In the next month we have two scenarios. The first is if we respect the measures we can expect that number to be double-digit even when it goes to triple digits like now, it's not so drastic, it's just important to keep the situation under control, and that can only be done by respecting measures.We now have younger and more resilient people among the newly infected, a small number of them go to the hospital because most tolerate virus well and is not for hospitalization.That is good. However, young people can transmit the virus to the elderly even though they have a mild or asymptomatic clinical picture. Furthermore, we will certainly have an increase in November because people will stay indoors, but it would certainly be controlled condition, to control the curve, to be as low as possible so that there are no peaks", he explains.
"The second scenario would be unfavorable, and that is that we fail to ensure that the measures are respected, that we have a sudden leap, and there are certainly conditions for it because everything around us is on fire, and the transition is taking place in the country. So if we relax, then I really don't know what to expect. Nothing is difficult or complicated, just follow the measures we repeat for months, wear masks indoors necessarily, keep a distance of one and a half meters, maintain hygiene, and most importantly, in this period of fighting the virus, forget all about celebrations, gatherings", Dr Tiodorović concluded.
