The Omicron variant of the SARS-COV2 virus was confirmed in Moldova as a result of lab tests performed in Germany. Representatives of the Ministry of Health said the country is experiencing a new pandemic wave and recommend the citizens to get a vaccine against COVID-19. According to doctors, the high number of new cases of infection is due to the high contagiousness of the Omicron variant and to the nonobservance of the epidemiological rules by the population, IPN reports.
According to the Ministry of Health, 9,528 cases of COVID-19 were recorded during July 25-31 this year, an increase of 64.5% on a week before. In this connection, the authorities insistently recommend getting vaccinated against COVID-19, with the administration of the booster 2 dose having been launched.
“The number of requests for being vaccinated with COVID-19 increases together with the rise in the number of new cases of infection. But the number of such requests is not the wanted one. The booster 2 dose is administered to health workers, persons with concomitant diseases, social workers. Last week, we had only 106 booster doses administered nationwide. It is a very low figure. The national vaccination rate is 32.7%. As the vaccination rate is low, we cannot speak about the collective immunity we want and cannot expect that COVID-19 will disappear soon. Yesterday, the National Public Health Agency received the first results of the sequencing and the same Omicron variant was detected,” the representative of the Ministry of Health Daniela Demișcan stated in the talk show “Common Objective” on TVR Moldova channel.
According to doctors, the Omicron variant is highly contagious and mostly older persons develop serious forms of disease. Moreover, the number of new cases of COVID-19 among children has increased and hotbeds of infection can appear in educational institutions when the new school year starts.
”Two weeks ago, we didn’t have any infected child, but now we have over 50 infected children. This variant is extremely contiguous. The contagiousness of this disease is also related to the fact that more events are held in summer, our compatriots form aboard come home and this wave was predictable. But this variant is not aggressive. Of the patients supervised by the family doctors, only two persons have pneumonia and these are persons older than 60 with comorbidies. At the moment, over 97% of the infected persons are under home treatment. The personnel of the health system, education system, social system, those who are in permanent contact with people, are most exposed to risks. The hospitalized persons are older than 60,” said Liliana Iașan, head of the Buiucani Local Medical Association.
In connection with the rise in the number of new cases of COVID-19, the authorities recommend the citizens to wear protective masks in health facilities, public transport, shopping centers and stores, to maintain physical distancing of minimum 1 meter and to obey hand hygiene and respiratory hygiene.
