“I’m not interested in stories about hairstyles, makeup, clothes, we are fighting to live!”

Darija Kisić, Photo: Tanjug / Rade Prelić

Serbia is finishing the sixth month of the fight against the coronavirus, the situation in the country is better, but it is far from ideal. Throughout the entire fight, we were never at zero when it comes to the number of new kovid cases, and what awaits us in the next period, whether there will be a new state of emergency, patient growth, a new wave in an exclusive interview , reveals doctor and crisis staff member. Darija Kisić Tepavčević.

One of the names that we mention the most during these six months of struggle, and that we will continue to say and whose advice and recommendations we will listen to, because the fight against kovid is going to last, is Dr. Darija Kisić Tepavčević.

Darija Kisić Tepavčević is a Serbian doctor and specialist in epidemiology, professor at the Department of Epidemiology at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Belgrade and deputy director of public health and population policy at the Serbian Institute of Public Health “Milan Jovanović Batut”, but also of all these titles The most important thing for Serbia is that he is a member of the Serbian crisis staff to fight kovid.

Besides the return of people from the summer holidays, what are the biggest risks of the spread of the coronavirus in Serbia?

– More than 6 months have passed since the presence of coronavirus was confirmed in the territory of our country. The speed with which the cause of the infectious disease will spread depends on three facts: how it is transmitted, how sensitive the population is to it and if we have the possibilities of specific prevention, that is. we have a vaccine. If we observe these characteristics of the infection by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, we know that it is transmitted in the easiest and fastest way; that the majority of the population is still susceptible to the disease and that vaccines are not yet widely used. As we can see, all conditions still exist for the rapid and unhindered spread of this virus around the world.

If we add to all these facts that experience has shown that COVID-19 is not seasonal in nature, and that there is still no reliable data on the duration of immunity after the disease, it is almost impossible to predict the future course of the epidemic with high accuracy. What is well known is the fact that the spread of the virus is largely dependent on ourselves. Only in our body can the virus survive, multiply and be transmitted to a new sensitive person. That is why it is the task of all of us to avoid it. Each of us should actively assume our role and block the passage of this virus. Any gathering of people, especially indoors, is a significant risk factor. We have a period of the year that is fraught with risk.

How realistic is the forecast that there will be no zeros in Serbia and that the second wave will start again?

-For more than a month we have been registering a decreasing trend in the incidence of COVID-19, and at this time the epidemiological situation in the Republic of Serbia is more favorable than in most European countries. The burden of contracting this disease is directly correlated with the frequency of preventive measures in the population. The current epidemiological situation in our country tells us that in the previous period we acted with responsibility and conscience and that the majority of our citizens respected the application of preventive measures. We have a period of the year that is filled with various celebrations and beautiful events that we have all always been waiting and waiting for.

We are a hospitable and friendly people and those are wonderful qualities. But this time we must be aware that this type of meeting can significantly affect the speed of spread of the coronavirus. We can only win the fight against this virus if we are united and in solidarity. The best example for us is the ROC, which managed to quickly control the epidemic with self-discipline and strict respect for preventive measures. It is encouraging that in the area of ​​this country for more than 4 months there has been no death that could be linked to this virus, as well as that there have been no cases of local transmission for more than a month.

How to control the virus in the autumn days when the seasonal flu appears?

-We are going to find a colder climate, characterized by a season of respiratory infections. This year in the southern hemisphere, the flu season was extremely mild, the mildest of this century. This is mainly explained by the high coverage of immunization against influenza, but also by the widespread application of general preventive measures (use of masks, physical distance) that are common to all respiratory infections.

Is there an imaginary negative figure after which the introduction of the curfew and similar methods is reconsidered?

-During these few months our knowledge and theories about this virus have changed a lot, but what has remained unchanged is the way in which we can prevent it from becoming infected. I often hear comments that we are annoying because we constantly try to wear masks, wash our hands, and maintain physical distance, but those measures really save lives. At one point, this virus literally stopped the entire world. Many countries have at some point opted for a more conservative approach and restricting movements to reduce the risk of virus transmission. With such action, we are able to save the lives of our older fellow citizens, who are at the highest risk of complications and death if an infection occurs. Also during this period, we strengthened the capacities of our health system, prepared temporary hospitals, built new laboratories, and acquired tests. The great success is that such a strengthened capacity of our health care system could support the increased burden of disease that we had at one point. We have seen that this was not the case in many highly developed European countries …

NO VIRUS TRANSMISSION IN SCHOOLS!

Are you satisfied with the responsibility of citizens in the fight against the corona virus?

-We have learned that in the fight against this invisible enemy we must be united, responsible and disciplined. I have already repeated these words several times, but they are the essence. Without it, we can never be sufficiently prepared and be an equal opponent of the coronavirus. So I want to repeat over and over again: wear masks, wash your hands, keep your physical distance. And warn your loved ones if they do not adhere to these measures. It’s the best way to show them how much you care about them and how much you love them. Our older fellow citizens have once again shown that they are the most responsible and conscientious, and we must learn from them. But I would like to mention that our young people, the school children, have proven to be part of the population that we can emulate and trust. Three weeks have passed since the start of the school year and the monitoring of COVID-19 showed that, except for sporadic cases of the disease, there was no transmission of the virus in the school environment. We hope this will continue in the next period.

WHO ARE THE HEROES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST THE VIRUS?

In your opinion, which medical institution has been most affected by the appearance of the crown in Serbia?

– To all health professionals who have been or are currently in the first line of defense, to all those who are in daily contact with patients with COVID-19, to all those who fight every day to save lives, to all Those of me who spent hours dressed in space suits, to all those who have been separated from their families for hours, days, months, I give them great recognition and unlimited gratitude.

Does it comply with the prescribed epidemiological measures?

They are all our heroes.

THERE IS NO DISAGREEMENT WITH NESTOROVIC

Missing Dr. Nestorović, who retired, was there any disagreement?

-All decisions of the crisis staff were always unanimous and were made after discussions that were based on all available professional and scientific data. Headlines often appeared in the media indicating some disagreements, but there was never any truth to that.

How much does the support you have from the President and the Government mean to you as doctors and experts?

– Every decision of the crisis staff is at the level of a recommendation and cannot be implemented without a decision from the government. Every one of our recommendations has been adopted and that tells you enough about the support and trust we have from the state.

Do you like or do you care about the popularity you have gained, do I comment on each of your statements, and even the clothes, the hairstyle, the makeup?

– I try not to pay attention to that.

Can we get your forecast of what awaits us in the next period?

-It depends exclusively on us, if you knew how much of our population will adhere to preventive measures in the future, it would be very easy to make a predictive model. I am optimistic by nature and I believe in the responsibility and solidarity of our population and in that case a favorable result will not be lost, writes Lens.

Would you get a Russian vaccine?

-The country of origin of the vaccine is not important, only its safety and efficacy.

Will Serbia be powerful enough to produce it?

-After a long period of time this season, our Torlak will once again produce the flu vaccine. That is a promising message for the future.