PCR tests are removed after quarantine, no need to toughen measures

The current situation does not require a tightening of measures against the epidemic, Health Minister Prof. Kostadin Angelov announced on Thursday at the periodic weekly briefing of the National Operational Headquarters for Coronavirus. Although a new anti-record of 437 new cases and 11 deaths was reported on Thursday, the minister assured that hospital occupancy had not increased significantly since last week. The Chief Inspector of Health of the State, Dr. Angel Kunchev, pointed out that our country maintains its position at the European level during the last 14 days: the 24th place in terms of morbidity with 43.19 per 100,000 inhabitants and the 7th in terms of mortality with 1.19 per 100 000 people. Angelov and Kunchev said they were monitoring 23 indicators of the spread of the virus in the country and that no further measures were needed at the moment.

No PCR at the end of quarantine: positive does not equal infected

In this context, the authorities announced a mitigation measure: the mandatory PCR test has been abolished after the expiration of the 14-day quarantine for people who have been treated for coronavirus at home. Until now, a negative PCR test was a prerequisite for the quarantine to fall, and in some patients, it lasted up to almost a month. Now the central explained the exemption from the requirement with scientific data that after this period the patient is not infected.

“Most countries in Europe have not introduced a negative PCR test to remove the quarantine, and it is automatically removed on the 14th. We have introduced it for added security. More and more data is coming out, more and more countries are abandoning it. AND the next step, which we will talk about, is to reduce the 14-day quarantine, because the first 4-5 countries in Europe have already passed a 10-day quarantine, and some countries in the world have passed a 7-day quarantine. sample for months , but it will not be infected. Positive and infected are not the same “explained Dr. Kunchev.

New 26 doctors infected per day

An alarming trend is the rapid growth of infected doctors in recent days. During the last 24 hours, there are 26 newly infected doctors, and during the last week the active cases of infected medical personnel have increased from 227 to 278. The worst situation is in one of the hospitals in Plovdiv, so the Minister will visit Plovid today. .

Of the 278 doctors and other medical personnel currently infected, 43 are receiving treatment in the hospital, 6 in intensive care units and 229 at home.

The increase in the number of infected doctors, according to the Minister of Health and Director of “Pirogov” Prof. Asen Baltov, is due to the environment with a high viral load in which they work, as well as accumulated fatigue, in which even the slightest inattention on your part can lead to infection. Therefore, field refresher courses for the use of personal protective equipment are being considered.

14% of the beds are occupied by light and 5% by severe cases

There are currently 1,033 people in the hospital and 53 in the intensive care unit. Angelov said that 14% of the hospital beds available for uncomplicated cases and 5% of the intensive care beds were occupied.

According to him, there is no significant increase in hospitalized patients.

Bulgarians are treated like Trump

The state’s chief health inspector, Dr. Angel Kunchev, announced that after the leaked information about the treatment of the president of the United States, Donald Trump, it became clear that Bulgarian patients are treated by exactly the same means: “Remdesivir and dexamethasone. This is exactly how we treat all of our patients in Bulgarian hospitals, which is a very good achievement for me. What the American president treats, this is how our seriously ill people are treated. The Ministry of Health first with donations, and then with Until now, Purchase has distributed 2,826 vials in all the district hospitals that treat the coronavirus. And for October we have a request to the EC for 2,500 vials, one vial costs 700 BGN “..

Combined tests for influenza and Covid-19

In the information session of the headquarters it was clear that starting next week the Sofia Regional Health Inspectorate will begin to carry out tests with combined rapid tests for influenza A, influenza B and Covid-19, and it is expected that they will soon enter the more extensive in laboratories and hospitals. .