Covid is here to stay for a long time, but the pandemic could go away, stated Dr. Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, during a press conference in Chisinau.
The official mentioned several solutions to normalize the pandemic situation in the world, but also stressed the unpredictability of the disease.
Dr. Kluge said countries need to protect vulnerable groups, including the elderly and people with chronic illnesses. They also needs to strengthen tracking systems for the rapid detection of new variants of SARS-CoV-2.
The official also emphasized the need to provide new antiviral medicines that could drastically reduce the number of serious cases and deaths. He added that special attention should be paid to so-called long Covid cases, noting that 15% of those infected continue to have symptoms more than 12 weeks after the infection disappears.
Countries must also take care of patients who have not received appropriate care due to overworked medical staff during the pandemic, including the diagnosis of cancer and other noncommunicable diseases, added Dr. Kluge.
Minister of Health Ala Nemerenco confirmed that, like in other parts of Eastern Europe, the number of cases is decreasing in Moldova.
