Contents
The daily number of infections in recent days has stabilized at the level of 3 thousand. The sixth wave of the coronavirus has become a reality. Has the Ministry of Health done everything to minimize its effects? – In Poland, monitoring of coronavirus infections is only conventional. Testing is actually gone – says Dr. Aneta Afelt. What else should the government do?
- The latest data from the Ministry of Health about the daily number of infections say about 3 thousand. 038 cases of COVID-19. A week ago, there were 1974
- If several thousand tests are performed daily instead of tens of thousands, we get a piece of information, and the virus circulates without our knowledge – believes Dr. Paweł Grzesiowski
- – The fact that we have 200 thousand. still unvaccinated people in the highest risk group is a great neglect – emphasizes Dr. Ernest Kuchar
- Scientists recommended pre-emptive actions to avoid illness and death, as well as school closings or lockdown – writes prof. Krzysztof Pyrć
- More information can be found on the TvoiLokony home page
The peak of the sixth wave is ahead of us
The sixth wave of the coronavirus in Poland has become a fact. This can be seen in the numbers of infections that have taken place in recent days, officially confirmed by the Minister of Health, Adam Niedzielski.
– The last three days have seen an infection level of around 3. The scale of increase from week to week is 60%. In Poland, we observe dynamic increases in infections at the level of 60, 70, 80 percent. – he said at a press conference on July 21.
— In line with forecasts, we estimate that the peak of the summer wave will occur around mid-August. The expected level of infections is 8-10 thousand. We update our forecasts on a regular basis. The paths of development of the number of cases are as predicted – emphasized Niedzielski.
The head of the ministry says that everything is developing according to the predicted scenario. But does this mean that everything was done to minimize the impact of the next wave of infections, or could more have been done?
Let the experts speak.
Failure to test is a bug
Many experts emphasize that the scale of infections in Poland is underestimated, because testing for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 is too rare.
— In Poland, monitoring of coronavirus infections is only conventional. Testing has actually disappeared, we have rather “on demand” testing when someone suspects an infection, or self-testing – said Dr. Aneta Afelt from the COVID-19 Team at the President of the Polish Academy of Sciences in an interview with Medonet.
— The cessation of common tests is a mistake, because in order to prevent something, you need to have knowledge, and therefore monitor and draw quick conclusions from the fact that, for example, the number of infections is increasing. If several thousand tests are performed a day instead of tens of thousands, we get a piece of information, and the virus is circulating without our knowledge – a similar opinion was expressed in an interview with Polityka »Dr. Paweł Grzesiowski, expert of the Supreme Medical Council for combating COVID-19.
It’s not just about testing people with suspected coronavirus, however.
— I would highly recommend wastewater monitoring throughout Poland. This is a good diagnostic method that allows you to predict the burden on health care and thus plan medical care – said Dr. Afelt.
How can such observation be helpful? – It is analyzing them in terms of the amount of virus remains excreted by people. On this basis, it is possible to detect how many potential people in a given place are currently infected (even asymptomatic). This solution is used, inter alia, in in Italy, Germany or France. Unfortunately, this is not a systemic solution in Poland. If it was done by the largest Polish cities, we could estimate the actual scale of the infection, she explained.
Several cities in Poland conduct such observations, incl. Warsaw. Samples are taken from four fixed points, two at the “Czajka” sewage treatment plant and one each at the “South” and the infrastructure in Pruszków. On July 22, the spokesman of the Municipal Water and Sewage Company, Marek Smółka, announced that «since the beginning of July, there has been a marked increase in the amount of SARS-CoV-2 DNA detected in Warsaw wastewater«.
– We have been conducting research since March this year. After the spring peak and the subsequent decline, we are now seeing an increase in the virus detected in sewage, he said in an interview with Polsat News. He added that the values currently detected are not comparable to those recorded during the previous wave of infections.
The masks should come back
The bars showing infections in Poland are rising. The sub-variant BA.5 of the Omicron, considered to be the fastest spreading, is becoming more and more prominent in our country. Perhaps there will also be a BA.2.75 subvariant, not yet fully explored, but of concern due to the greater number of mutations than its maternal BA.2 subvariant.
Therefore, more and more people talk not only about vaccinations, but also about the rules of the sanitary regime that have been known to us for over two years.
You can find a quick SARS-CoV-2 antigenic for home-made nasal swab at Medonet Market.
—It will be necessary to turn to non-pharmacological solutions that have been known for a long time. Although they will not protect us 100%. but they will significantly reduce the risk of virus transmission. I mean hygiene, keeping distance and walking in masks – said virologist and immunologist prof. Agnieszka Szuster-Ciesielska.
—Therefore, I am unpleasantly surprised by the position of the Minister of Health, who recommended wearing masks in populated places only for the elderly. And yet it has been proven that only wearing masks by all people in such places reduces the risk of transmitting the virus to a much greater extent than if only some of these people did it – added Prof. Szuster.
Dr. Grzesiowski also spoke about the return to wearing masks in public places and closed rooms.
– I recently watched a Poland-China volleyball match, reported from Sopot, from a sports hall. In this crowd, because there were also fans in the hall, only the Chinese medical team was wearing masks. And this is a significant picture, because Asia knows what an epidemic is, it is afraid of it, and although the mask changes the comfort of our lives, it is the basis for actions for common security, because it protects against transmission. Europe does not want to recognize it, even though we have suffered terrible losses – said the expert in Polityka.
Dr. Kuchar: lockdowns did not do anything
Hardly anyone talks about returning to lockdowns, especially since with the observance of various restrictions it was sometimes different. But experts are constantly reminded of the best way to reduce the effects of a pandemic, which is vaccination.
—Lockdowny did nothing, the more so because there was social consent and tolerance of the authorities for non-compliance. The only chance is vaccinations. The new variants are so contagious that the restrictions, especially if not strictly followed, will not do much. So let’s forget about lockdowns, let’s focus on vaccinations – said the vaccinologist dr hab. n. med. Ernest Kuchar for PAP.
–An old proverb says: Si vis pacem, para bellum (If you want peace, prepare for war). We all want the next wave of coronavirus to be mild, but that doesn’t mean we have to passively wait for the situation to develop. You have to prepare for it. The fact that we have 200 the still unvaccinated people at the highest risk are gross negligence. We also have too few people in Poland who took the third dose – about 20-30 percent. Dr. Kuchar said.
Fourth dose as soon as possible
On July 22, the administration of the fourth dose of the vaccine to people aged 60-79 years, as well as to those with impaired immunity, began in Poland. In this case, the government’s actions are consistent with the experts’ recommendations. The Ministry of Health originally planned to start the operation in September, but doctors and virologists advised to do it as early as possible.
– In my opinion, there is no point in waiting for updated vaccines. First of all, we are not XNUMX% sure that these current booster doses will actually appear in September – said Prof. Szuster.
– Secondly, there is an increasing group of people who have passed the period of five or six months after the first booster dose, and therefore their resistance to new sub-variants has significantly decreased and it should be strengthened. Thirdly, we now have increases in infections in Poland, which will last not known for how long, and also caused by a subvariant that eludes immunity – noted the virologist.
Prof. Pyrć: shafts are built earlier
Prof. Krzysztof Pyrć is one of the best specialists in the field of microbiology and virology in Poland. He was a member of the Prime Minister’s Medical Council for COVID-2020 established in 19. In January this year – like most scientists – he gave up advising the prime minister because of «mismatch between scientific and medical rationale and practice«.
He is active on Twitter, pointing out what the government should do to fight the pandemic as effectively as possible. However, it does not present ready-made solutions, but regularly emphasizes that all activities should be carried out well in advance.
“Some try to impose the narrative that scientists wanted to shut down the world and ignored society and the economy. It’s not true. Scientists recommended precautionary measures to avoid illness and death, but also school closures or lockdowns, »he wrote recently.
He also made a pictorial comparison of the current epidemic situation, emphasizing once again that the government reacts too late to the threat.
«If we react to a flood when the water reaches two floors, then at most I can recommend evacuation. The embankments are built earlier »- he noted.
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