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The coronavirus epidemic is currently at the steepest part of the climb. This was stated by Senior General Professor Dr. Ventsislav Mutafchiiski, Head of the National Headquarters to Combat COVID-19. Due to the measures imposed, the expert is already receiving death threats.
This is what he said in an interview with Deutsche Welle:
SG: Bulgaria has taken timely action against the spread of the coronavirus, and at first things seemed to be under control: the contagion curve was smooth for a long time. But in a few days she went up sharply. Something went wrong and where?
“To be honest: We were incredibly fortunate that quarantine measures were already being imposed on students and healthcare facilities due to influenza B, which also spread to the second peak of the disease. This allowed us to limit the spread of the coronavirus in Bulgaria even at that time.
Subsequently, these influenza measurements were translated into coronavirus measurements, and were very appropriate. But now, looking back, I find them too liberal because, for example, it was not forbidden to go to work.
However, the measurements produced excellent results and for a long time we moved in a very smooth curve. This continued until about March 30, when we clearly saw an elevation, and after April 12 we climbed steeply.
DV: Why, what went wrong?
– There was a bad conversation in the community, incorrect messages were sent. It was even possible to deny the existence of a problem with COVID-19 in Bulgaria. People began to go out more boldly, to get together, and in combination with the massive trips in Tsvetnitsa and Easter, all this came to fruition and we are now on the steep part of the climb.
DV: You found the right measures, but still too liberal. It is a month and a half after the introduction of the state of emergency to consider a deeper analysis of the measures that are in force and which are not. In Germany, for example, the parks were not closed at any time, only people had to stay away and not move in large groups.
– This is a great question because we are in a period of rethinking the measures. First, there really needs to be an analysis of what worked and what didn’t. From a purely medical and epidemiological point of view. Secondly, there are extremely worrying attitudes in society, which are not just a Bulgarian phenomenon. People have a painful need for some ray of light in the tunnel to loosen the measurements. And third, the contradiction between what politicians and experts have said is deepening. Therefore, Bulgaria needs to rethink these measures. Even because hospitals cannot be closed permanently, COVID-19 is not the only disease.
For a long time, cancer surgeries and other activities that simply “fell asleep” were delayed. There are patients who urgently need transplants and, following the example of our western colleagues, we have developed protocols to resume this activity. There is tremendous public pressure on reproductive health and in vitro procedures. Therefore, all of these problems are gradually being addressed, such as opening parks primarily for mothers with children. At my personal insistence, there was a ban on drinking alcohol there.
DV: For the parks, did the headquarters support its opening or was this decision imposed?
– There are no headquarters decisions and I think the prime minister and the ministers already know this. We agree, but it should be clear to people that any relaxation of the measures that involve gathering more people in one place will worsen the epidemiological situation. And politicians need to learn a bit of real conversation, not just communicate good news.
DV: So I ask you this: is there any tension between headquarters and external factors? What about the differences within the headquarters itself?
– There is no significant disagreement at headquarters, we are discussing different topics, but I would not say that we have different opinions. And as for the government, the prime minister acknowledged that in our meetings at 7 o’clock in the morning, we from the headquarters, I quote, “knocked him down.” Optimistic political conversation is not a Bulgarian phenomenon, we see it in many other countries at the moment. But it seems that experts are increasingly opposing this type of discourse, and our headquarters is no exception in this regard.
DV: To be even more direct: does Prime Minister Borisov continue to follow the advice and recommendations of the staff? If so, how can we explain to him that he is anxious after Easter and, at the same time, we are witnessing a loosening of some measures?
– With the parks, we take it as a good commitment to release tension. Because this tension could lead to even more demonstrable non-compliance with the measures, which are increasingly common. We agree on such a commitment. But, in any case, we will not support a global opening of these spaces.
DV: I did not understand the answer to the question of whether Prime Minister Borisov listens to what he is saying.
– The Prime Minister is known for his strong character, but surprisingly he listens to our concerns, concerns and recommendations. Sometimes we argue for hours and really throw it to the ground.
DV: In Germany, the leading virologist at the Charite Clinic in Berlin, Christian Drosten, said with regret that for many people he was already “the bad guy who wants to destroy the economy.” What about you? Are you moving away from the image of the “good”?
“That’s a fact. I move away from the image of good. Too often, my image is already demonized. In the sense that headquarters actions and perseverance were destroying the economy, which is not really true at all. The problem is global. Even if we let everyone work and let them work, they have nothing to do. Take the auto industry: They can produce as many Mercedes headlights as they want, but if Mercedes doesn’t produce Mercedes and if the market doesn’t look for Mercedes, am I to blame?
DV: In other words, you are increasingly perceived as “bad”. Where are these evaluations coming from?
“I already receive threats, including my life. They come with emails, essays, or Viber. Of course, I pass them on to the police.
DV: Are these threats anonymous?
“There are names, but I can’t tell if they are their real names.” This is the job of the police. I cannot judge whether the threat is real or not. Yes, I make many sacrifices for my work, but I still lose my life …
SG: You are adamant that there are also death threats, right?
– There are definitely death threats, I even kept them on my phone. I can even quote one of the last messages: “I want you to be smiling when you drop your bullet.”
DV: Is the sender anonymous?
– Let the police do the work. Work is underway to clarify another case of this type. Death threats are counted on the fingers of one hand. Much more are angry verbal messages. I even had to disable an email.
DV: And when did these threats start?
– I have not done a detailed analysis, but this is an interesting question. In fact, most people support the measures, but there are others who still disagree. And there are organized groups that have been tasked with doing this. I am sure because there are emails that are done very professionally and if I try to answer them the operator says there is no such address.
DV: And where do you think such an organized attack could come from? Do you have any assumptions?
“I wouldn’t go into that kind of reasoning. Let the police take care of this.
DV: Let’s also talk about the Roma neighborhoods: are they still a risk factor for the spread of the infection despite the health mediators?
– One of the first things we did in parallel with the strengthening of the health system was to invite the 200 mediators to synchronize their work. Because we knew very well that there could be problems. Many of our compatriots work abroad, even in countries with large KOVID-19 outbreaks. In general, the spread of infection was an important factor in Bulgaria. On the other hand, these minority groups have different lifestyles: social and physical distance is very difficult to apply. It is a way of communicating with each other. As an Italian teacher assured us, these people interact in this way: they hug, kiss, shake hands, stay together. This is popular psychology, something that cannot be accomplished in one day.
DV: But we knew all that, didn’t we?
– Exactly. And so, a long time ago, when the headquarters was being formed, one of the first things was to mobilize the mediators and observe closely what was happening there. And the fact that we have not emphasized this activity is the result of our understanding that we cannot tolerate stigma not only for this but also for any other community group in relation to the epidemic. Because it could escalate to absolutely unacceptable ugly scenes.
DV: Finally, let me ask you about St. George’s Day: this year, the military parade will not be the way we are used to seeing it. Still, something is brewing. Is there no danger of history repeating itself on March 3?
– This is what we negotiated for the last time with the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense, Krasimir Karakachanov. I convinced him that a parade with no audience is not a parade and that to have a parade, participants must first train together for at least a month. These are real risks, so this option was quickly abandoned.
Then the ministry suggested that aviation fly, which doesn’t make sense, in my opinion. The third proposal was to make a mini parade, that is, a kind of competition between the different military schools in the country, to be held at the Veliko Turnovo school. I also opposed this option because mixing cadets from different schools is unacceptable. Finally, the parade will look like this: Each school, by itself, will film cadet marches that can be broadcast to a wider audience, such as on television. But there will be no such parade as we imagine. This year we will celebrate Value Day in a non-standard way.
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