Tag: booster

  • Trotz sinkender Infektionszahlen: Schutzmaßnahmen weiterhin geboten

    Trotz sinkender Infektionszahlen: Schutzmaßnahmen weiterhin geboten



    Nach über zwei Jahren, seitdem das Sars-Cov-2-Virus die Menschheit fest im Griff hält, scheint die Pandemie nun auch in Rumänien abzuflauen. Die Zahl der Neuinfektionen mit dem Coronavirus hat in der letzten Woche um 30 % im Vergleich zur vorangegangenen abgenommen — infizierten sich vor zwei Wochen noch 160.000 Menschen, so waren es vergangene Woche noch 110.000. Die Inzidenz pro 1000 Einwohner ist in den meisten Landkreisen auch im Sinken begriffen, bleibt aber überall noch im roten Bereich. Es gibt allerdings auch gro‎ße Unterschiede — während die Inzidenz im nordöstlichen Landkreis Suceava bei 3,18 liegt, so beträgt sie im Landkreis Ilfov, dem Umland von Bukarest, 23,5 pro 1000 Einwohner.



    In der Hauptstadt selbst blieb die Inzidenz bei etwas mehr als 30. Am Sonntag wurden knapp 7.700 Neuinfektionen in Bukarest gemeldet, womit die rumänische Hauptstadt immer noch ähnlich hohe Zahlen wie zu Beginn der fünften Welle vor mehr als einem Monat schreibt. Auf der Intensivstation werden immer noch über 1000 Menschen behandelt und die Zahl der Todesfälle im Zusammenhang mit Corona bleibt konstant. Bei den Patienten mit schweren oder tödlichen Krankheitsverläufen handelt es sich laut ärztlichen Berichten immer noch überwiegend um ungeimpfte Menschen.



    Die Impfkampagne ist indessen ins Stocken geraten — am gestrigen Sonntag wurden weniger als 4.000 Impfungen verabreicht, etwas mehr als 400 Impfwillige erhielten dabei die erste Dosis. Seit Beginn der Impfkampagne im Dezember 2020 wurden landesweit nur etwas mehr als 8 Mio. Menschen vollständig geimpft.



    Vor diesem Hintergrund warnen Ärzte davor, die aktuell sinkenden Infektionszahlen auf die leichte Schulter zu nehmen. Die Pandemie sei noch lange nicht vorbei, und die Schutzma‎ßnahmen müsse man nach wie vor ernst nehmen. Gro‎ßzügige Lockerungen wie in anderen Ländern seien gerade wegen des niedrigen Impfenthusiasmus hierzulande nicht ratsam, hei‎ßt es nahezu einvernehmlich von Medizinern.



    Derzeit beraten sich die Behörden über stufenweise einzuführende Lockerungsma‎ßnahmen, doch diese müssten mit der Situation in den Krankenhäusern korrelieren. Gesundheitsminister Alexandru Rafila sagte in diesem Zusammenhang, dass es wichtiger sei, Schutzma‎ßnahmen wie das Tragen von Gesichtsmasken an belebten Orten und in Innenräumen beizubehalten, als über konkrete Termine für die Lockerungen zu spekulieren. Nur durch eine Eindämmung der Ansteckungen könne man sich selbst und die Nahestehenden schützen, und das würde eine Normalisierung unseres Lebens beschleunigen, so der Gesundheitsminister.



    In den meisten europäischen Staaten scheint die Pandemie indessen auf dem Rückzug zu sein. Trotzdem empfehlen die Behörden — beispielsweise in den Niederlanden — weiterhin eine Auffrischungsimpfung, um die Omicron-Variante des Virus im Zaum zu halten. Und in Italien raten die Ärzte den Menschen mit einer geschwächten Immunität sogar zu einer zweiten Booster-Impfung.

  • Opt milioane de vaccinaţi complet în România

    Opt milioane de vaccinaţi complet în România

    La mai bine de un an de la debutul campaniei de imunizare, România a depășit anevoios pragul de opt milioane de oameni vaccinați anti-COVID cu schema completă, adică jumătate din populația adultă eligibilă. Dintre aceștia, peste 2,4 milioane au făcut și boosterul. Această cifră este similară cu numărul persoanelor care s-au infectat, potrivit datelor oficiale, de la apariția primului caz de coronavirus în România, acum aproape doi ani.

    Recent, însă, ministrul Sănătății declara, la un post privat de televiziune, că cifra reală ar putea fi de peste zece milioane de infectați. Revenind la vaccinare, ritmul acesteia este redus, avertizează autoritățile, care amintesc că imunizarea scade în primul rând riscul de deces sau spitalizare. Amintim că pe 26 ianuarie a început și în România vaccinarea la grupa de vârstă 5-11 ani. Sunt peste 300 de cabinete de vaccinare care derulează astfel de activităţi. Până acum numărul copiilor vaccinați este doar de câteva mii, chiar dacă datele oficiale arată că este vorba despre 1,2 milioane de copii eligibili în total.


    Potrivit coordonatorului campaniei naţionale de imunizare, Valeriu Gheorghiță, aproximativ o treime dintre centrele de vaccinare anti-COVID active în prezent au sub zece doze administrate zilnic în ultimele două săptămâni. Acesta este de părere că strategia de vaccinare anti-COVID ar trebui regândită în lunile următoare, iar imunizarea împotriva SARS-CoV-2 să fie inclusă în Programul naţional de vaccinare în mod deosebit pentru grupele de risc şi serul să se administreze în cabinetele de medicină de familie. Mai mult, vor fi închise temporar sau definitiv centrele de vaccinare care nu mai au o adresabilitate suficientă.


    Între timp, evoluţia pandemiei de COVID-19 este constantă de câteva zile în România. Gradul de pozitivare se menţine la o treime din numărul testelor efectuate, iar numărul pacienţilor infectaţi internaţi în spitale creşte zilnic, dar foarte puţin. Autorităţile se aşteaptă ca, în perioada următoare, să se depăşească 50.000 de cazuri pe zi, chiar dacă transmiterea virusului s-a mai redus.

    Secretarul de stat din Ministerul Sănătăţii, Adriana Pistol: Rata de reproducere a mai scăzut. Acest lucru ne indică, încă vom avea creştere, dar nivelul creşterii nu este accelerat, este chiar mai scăzut decât săptămânile anterioare. De obicei, marţea, pentru că în zilele de weekend nu toate laboratoarele efectuează testări, avem acest boom de cazuri.


    Adriana Pistol a mai spus că autorităţile din sănătate nu au luat în calcul introducerea obligativităţii dozei booster de vaccin pentru activităţile interne. Ea recomandă, însă, persoanelor vulnerabile să facă această doză pentru a se proteja de formele grave de boală şi de deces. Potrivit oficialului, la nivelul Comisiei Europene, această valabilitate nu a fost stabilită încă, dar se discută despre un termen de valabilitate până în luna iunie a anului viitor.


  • A new contamination threshold – 40 thousand cases

    A new contamination threshold – 40 thousand cases

    On Tuesday Romania exceeded 40,000 new cases of Covid-19 in 24 hours – the highest since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. The figure is more than double the peak figure of the previous autumn wave. Also, the highest number of tests in one single day was made – over 122,000, and one in three results confirmed the infection. The coordinator of the national Covid-19 vaccination campaign, doctor Valeriu Gheorghiţă, considers that, at present, the testing capacity is not comparable to that of other countries.



    On a private television station, he said that although the testing capacity for SARS-CoV-2 has increased in Romania, not enough tests are being made yet. According to him, in order to have the real number of infections, six times more tests should be made. On the other hand, about 10,000 people diagnosed with Covid-19 are hospitalized in health facilities across the country, double the number reported two weeks ago. There are about one thousand patients in ICUs. More than three-quarters of them are unvaccinated. And the number of hospitalized children is constantly increasing, hundreds being hospitalized and a few dozen being in ICUs.



    The authorities warn that in order to limit the spread of coronavirus, health protection measures alone are not enough, and that testing from the first symptoms of the disease is very important. And since ambulances can hardly cope with the large number of cases, several centers have been opened where symptomatic people can go to be tested, including in the offices of some family doctors. Even if the number of contaminations is growing alarmingly, the number of people who get vaccinated for the first time is far too low, several thousand per day, compared to the authorities expectations.



    As to the green certificate, it is still valid in Romania also for the people who have exceeded nine months from the second dose, even if, as of February 1, in the European Union its validity has been limited to this period without the booster dose. However, the head of the Department for Emergency Situations, Raed Arafat, warns that Romania will soon have to adapt to the EU rules, and people who had the second vaccine dose more than nine months ago will have to get vaccinated with the third dose so as to keep the validity of the green certificate.



    In the meantime, Romania has given up listing countries according to the Covid-19 incidence rate, and all people entering Romania will be quarantined for five days no matter where they come from, unless they provide a proof of vaccination, of having had the disease or a negative result of a PCR test. The National Committee for Emergency Situations has also established a 5-day quarantine period for people who get in contact with a Covid-19 patient, even if they are vaccinated, because of the most contagious variant of the coronavirus – Omicron. (LS)

  • New rules for entering Romania

    New rules for entering Romania

    European
    countries are beginning to lift the tight rules that have governed the fight
    against the pandemic. Denmark becomes the first European country to eliminate
    all domestic restrictions as of Tuesday, after putting a lockdown in place in
    December to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant. Danish authorities
    cancelled the remaining restrictions, after reaching the conclusion that the
    disease caused by the coronavirus is no longer a critical threat.


    For
    the time being, Bucharest remains prudent and keeps restrictions in place, as
    record numbers of infections are still expected. Some changes have been
    operated nonetheless, with respect to the quarantine terms for SARS-CoV-2
    patients.


    The
    head of the Department for Emergency Situations, Raed Arafat, announced that
    national authorities gave up the colour codes for countries depending on
    infection risks. A new, single rule for entering Romanian territory has been
    introduced instead, with a 5-day quarantine required for travellers without a
    European digital certificate or other corresponding documents. State secretary Raed
    Arafat:


    This is the new rule. Travellers are either vaccinated, recovered from
    the disease or with a negative PCR test not older than 72 hours before entering
    the country or before take-off, for those traveling by plane. The quarantine
    rules after direct contact also change, with people who had the disease in the last 90 days no longer required to
    isolate after direct contact with an infected patient. All other people having
    had direct contact with a COVID patient will isolate for 5 days, regardless of
    whether they are vaccinated or not.


    Mr.
    Arafat also said Romania will also introduce the European rule applicable as of
    February 1 concerning the vaccination certificate. Specifically, certificates
    will be valid for 9 months for the fully vaccinated, with a booster dose
    required after this period if the certificate is to remain valid.


    The
    measure is compulsory for all EU member countries, but it only concerns travel
    across the Union. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has
    recommended the administration of a booster dose 6 months after the completion of the first
    vaccination cycle.


    For
    the time being, in Romania the digital certificate is accepted upon entering
    the country and for access in shops, restaurants and performance venues,
    including for people without the booster dose. (A.M.P.)

  • New rules for entering Romania

    New rules for entering Romania

    European
    countries are beginning to lift the tight rules that have governed the fight
    against the pandemic. Denmark becomes the first European country to eliminate
    all domestic restrictions as of Tuesday, after putting a lockdown in place in
    December to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant. Danish authorities
    cancelled the remaining restrictions, after reaching the conclusion that the
    disease caused by the coronavirus is no longer a critical threat.


    For
    the time being, Bucharest remains prudent and keeps restrictions in place, as
    record numbers of infections are still expected. Some changes have been
    operated nonetheless, with respect to the quarantine terms for SARS-CoV-2
    patients.


    The
    head of the Department for Emergency Situations, Raed Arafat, announced that
    national authorities gave up the colour codes for countries depending on
    infection risks. A new, single rule for entering Romanian territory has been
    introduced instead, with a 5-day quarantine required for travellers without a
    European digital certificate or other corresponding documents. State secretary Raed
    Arafat:


    This is the new rule. Travellers are either vaccinated, recovered from
    the disease or with a negative PCR test not older than 72 hours before entering
    the country or before take-off, for those traveling by plane. The quarantine
    rules after direct contact also change, with people who had the disease in the last 90 days no longer required to
    isolate after direct contact with an infected patient. All other people having
    had direct contact with a COVID patient will isolate for 5 days, regardless of
    whether they are vaccinated or not.


    Mr.
    Arafat also said Romania will also introduce the European rule applicable as of
    February 1 concerning the vaccination certificate. Specifically, certificates
    will be valid for 9 months for the fully vaccinated, with a booster dose
    required after this period if the certificate is to remain valid.


    The
    measure is compulsory for all EU member countries, but it only concerns travel
    across the Union. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has
    recommended the administration of a booster dose 6 months after the completion of the first
    vaccination cycle.


    For
    the time being, in Romania the digital certificate is accepted upon entering
    the country and for access in shops, restaurants and performance venues,
    including for people without the booster dose. (A.M.P.)

  • Three scenarios for the 5th wave

    Three scenarios for the 5th wave

    Romanian experts say that Omicron is likely to generate a 5th wave of the pandemic and that this new variant of the coronavirus may become dominant in the country in January. The peak of the Omicron wave could be reached 31 days after the date when the national infection rate exceeds 1%, and not 52 days after this date, as in the case of the Delta variant. Dr. Adriana Pistol, head of the National Centre for Surveillance and Control of Communicable Diseases, presented three scenarios, with an impact on the healthcare system during the 5th wave. The worst case scenario is, according to Dr. Pistol, the full occupation of the 25,000 hospital beds available for Covid patients in 27 days. Also in this scenario, 1,500 beds in intensive care units would be fully occupied in 20 days. According to Adriana Pistol, the main vulnerabilities in the context of the 5th wave are the fact that 60% of the people aged over 65 and people with chronic diseases are not vaccinated while only 25% of the people immunized had the booster jab.



    Another vulnerability is the delay in passing legislation on the introduction of the Covid green certificate, that could have prevented the spread. Also, there are no instruments to control the spread of the disease by people traveling from countries affected by Omicron. Faced with the perspective of a 5th wave of the pandemic, PM Nicolae Ciuca announced a number of measures, such as better informing the population, extended testing and encouraging vaccination. PM Nicolae Ciuca: ˮAn operative health information management group will be set up within the Health Ministry, to coordinate resources, actions and medical information. We will increase testing capacity and focus on outpatient medical assistance. ˮ



    In his turn, Health Minister Alexandru Rafila made a number of recommendations, among which vaccination, observance of social distancing measures and increased testing capacity: ˮMy colleagues and I believe that vaccination prevents severe cases and deaths. Observing social distancing measures, personal hygiene rules and wearing the face mask correctly are vital. Testing is essential and we encourage it in all possible ways, whether we refer to asymptomatic persons and direct contacts or to voluntary testing. Contacting the family doctor as soon as symptoms that might suggest the presence of the disease are detected, is also very important. ˮ



    Health Minister, Alexandru Rafila, also recommended a daily triage of the staff, a work schedule that avoids crowding common spaces and transportation means, and also tele-work. (EE)