Experts presented proposals to combat the COVID-19 pandemic: 5 strategic steps

Prof. V.Kasiulevičius notes that Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė, Minister of Health Arūnas Dulkys, Vice Minister of Health Živilė Simonaitytė, Chancellor of the Ministry of Health (SAM) Jurgita Grebenkovienė, SAM epidemiologists participated in the aforementioned meeting.

The meeting was moderated by prof. Laimonas Griškevičius. The rapporteur was dr. Tumas Beinort presented 5 strategic test directions:

1. In particular, the panel recommends early diagnosis of Covid-19 and early isolation of patients. To achieve this, it is proposed to change the order of the tests and evaluate symptomatic individuals first using rapid antigen tests (AgT) and ensure early detection of such individuals and an active information campaign.
2. The second solution proposed by the members of the group to the Government are preventive tests to ensure the protection of institutions at risk (treatment, nursing and care) and the most vulnerable, to reduce the spread of infection among educators and to prevent and reduce outbreaks in the business environment. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to regularly prevent preventive testing of all people who do not have immunity to coronavirus infection and to optimize testing capabilities, to implement both on-site AgT testing and automated PCR and AgT systems. . To encourage the massive use of high-speed AgT, we need to train non-medical professionals to take the smear on their own. It is necessary to simplify the licensing of AgT and the uploading of research results to ESPBI.
3. The third major challenge in managing a pandemic is extinguishing the COVID-19 outbreaks. To do this, it is necessary to form mobile isolation test teams, which would perform focal control using a standardized algorithm and new test capabilities.
4. The fourth proposal to the Government refers to the spread of new strains of the virus. To manage a pandemic in our country, we must monitor the emergence and development of SARS-CoV-2 strains.
5. For this, you need to establish a Lithuanian sequencing consortium and perform a permanent at least 1 percent. sequencing of Sars-CoV-2 positive samples. The development of an immunity passport system was also discussed.

Last day, 1,493 new cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Lithuania and another 25 people died from COVID-19, Statistics Lithuania reported.

225 patients also recovered on the last day.

Since the start of the pandemic, COVID-19 has infected 145,000 people in the country. 399 people, 66 thousand. 244 – still sick, 76 thousand. 703 – recovered.