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© Georgi Kozhukharov
A week after health authorities announced they were “fine” as more hospitals had opened beds for COVID patients, the health minister’s finding on the country’s coronavirus epidemic to date is that “the situation is complicated “. “and” restrictive measures “do not receive the necessary understanding from citizens.”
The chief state health inspector, Angel Kunchev, announced that during the last two weeks Bulgaria ranked third in Europe in mortality from coronavirus and concluded that either the current restrictions must be observed or the measures must be much more strict, as is the case in almost all cases. All Europe.
“I wonder where we went wrong”
Health Minister Prof. Kostadin Angelov reiterated his thesis that the hours when only people over 65 can shop were discussed “with representatives of the elderly and with representatives of the organization of shopping stores” before the programmed. in the order. From his statement it was learned that the purchasing rules introduced take into account the desire of the company to have only a range of one hour and three hours, instead of the initial two. Older people only wanted two periods of time, but for business this would be a waste.
“Now we understand that this corridor brings some kind of disagreement, misunderstanding in the businesses and this generates unfavorable conditions for their work or some concerns among citizens. They all agreed with her, ”said the Minister of Health, acknowledging that he also wondered if the measure was adequate, given that people under 65 also participate in public transport. But he did not reply.
These measures are imperative and important. And once there are measures, they limit. There is mistrust again.
Health Minister
According to the Health Minister, it was not known that he intended to introduce new restrictions due to the spread of the coronavirus. “In this situation, it is very difficult to talk about measures when society is divided,” concluded Professor Kostadin Angelov.
Hospitals in and beyond
According to data presented by the Minister of Health, the average number of hospital beds for patients with COVID in uncomplicated condition (11,492) is 46% (5316), but he also pointed out a number of areas where the pressure on medical institutions is more big:
– In Shumen district 132% of beds for COVID patients are occupied
– In the Gabrovo region: 95%
– In the district of Targovishte: 82%
– In the Ruse region: 77%
– In Razgrad district: 71%
Kostadin Angelov explained the Shumen data saying that officially there are fewer open beds for COVID patients than there actually are. That is, people with coronavirus are in a bed reserved for something else.
In this context, the Minister of Health announced that in the districts of Blagoevgrad, Varna, Vratsa, Kyustendil, Montana, Pernik, Plovdiv and Ruse (where the new infected are more than 600 per 100,000 people in two weeks) there will be separate hospitals only for COVID patients. , as well as so-called clean hospitals.
In the districts of Gabrovo and the city of Sofia (where the new infected are more than 1,000 per 100,000 people in two weeks) there will be additional meetings to discuss opportunities for additional beds and staff.
Antigen testing still does not lead to isolation
On November 18, the European Commission issued a recommendation for individual member states to determine their own strategy for the use and reporting of antigen tests. The Commission recommends the use of coronavirus antigen tests in the absence of PCR, in the presence of a high prevalence of infection, and in the need to control outbreaks.
“The main requirement of the recommendation is confirmation by a PCR test,” said Professor Kostadin Angelov. Although less accurate, antigen tests can give results in minutes instead of the days that are sometimes required for PCR tests. Read more about them here.
For now, antigen testing will not be an alternative to PCR testing for coronavirus, the Health Minister said in response to a question from Dnevnik. This means that people who test positive for antigen are not officially quarantined by the authorities and rely on their conscience to isolate themselves. However, based on a positive coronavirus antigen test, your GP may issue a sick note.
Then when the patient is tested for antigen and this happens, so to speak, in front of the medical institution, the patient has the opportunity to do a PCR test at the medical institution, which is free.
Health Minister
Angelov also explained that if an ambulance gives a patient a positive antigen test and takes him to a hospital for treatment, he will again be given a free PCR test. GPs will also be able to provide referrals for coronavirus PCR tests, which will be performed by the state, but when is not yet known. And the initial application was possible from the beginning of November.
According to Professor Asen Baltov, director of the Pirogov Hospital, many people do not want to be considered a “gold standard” PCR test after a positive antigen test.
This somehow hides some of the patients, they are not reported, they are not in quarantine, they continue to go to work, infecting others and overloading the system.
Director of the Pirogov Hospital
Positive antigen tests are not included in the COVID prevalence statistics that the authorities send daily.
