2023-11-22 07:00:00
It will soon be exactly four years since the first case of COVID-19 was officially identified in China. No new infection was known, with incidence reaching pandemic levels in 2020–2022. The number of cases in the world today is 698 million, 6 million 940 thousand people have died. In recent weeks, the incidence rate in Buryatia has begun to increase.
We were able to talk with the chief physician of the Republican Clinical Infectious Diseases Hospital, Tatyana Symbelova, and find out whether it is worth stocking up on masks at the pharmacy and being careful about Covid.
How is coronavirus handled now?
– On average, currently from 10 to 30 cases of COVID-19 are registered in the republic every day, such statistics indicate the low prevalence of the infection. But the hospital staff works, observing the rules for the protection of staff and other patients, in overalls, using respirators, helmets, and double gloves. In general, a milder course of the disease has been observed recently. There are much fewer seriously ill patients; there are no patients on mechanical ventilation,” says the head physician.
As of November 19, there were only 33 mild and moderately severe Covid patients within the walls of the infectious diseases hospital.
“We now have two people in intensive care who have very severe concomitant pathologies, but they are suffering from a moderate form of the new coronavirus infection,” explains the doctor.
As Tatyana Symbelova said, mainly two categories of the population are hospitalized: children under two years of age and elderly patients.
— Those born in 2022–2023 are encountering this infection for the first time; it often occurs in them as a cold in a mild or moderate form. There remain risks of a severe course in people over 70 years of age who, due to their age, have concomitant diseases, shares the infectious disease specialist.
Middle-aged adults are mildly ill and are treated on an outpatient basis. The main thing is that they do not forget that COVID-19 is spread by airborne droplets, so they need to limit contact with others, especially with family.
“It’s very worrying that familial outbreaks are often identified,” says the doctor.
About prevention and vaccinations
Prevention methods remain the same: wearing a mask and washing your hands frequently.
“The majority of the population understands that if you become ill with an acute respiratory disease, you must wear a mask and not visit crowded places: do not go to work, do not travel by public transport, do not go to stores or cinemas. A sick person becomes a source of infection for a huge number of other people who come across him. Therefore, wearing masks during a period when there is a seasonal increase in viral infections is a necessary measure for sick patients, says the head physician.
Still, if you are prone to colds, a mask may well protect you.
“In fact, this should become the norm now.” During this period, it is still advisable even for healthy people to wear masks in crowded places and wash their hands more often. Use medications for prevention, you can take multivitamins, adaptogens: ginseng, eleutherococcus, ventilate the premises more often, notes Tatyana Symbelova.
Today, many clearly understand that vaccination is the only way to avoid the disease or allow it to be tolerated in a mild form.
— Chief State Sanitary Doctor of Russia Anna Yurievna Popova said that there is currently no mandatory vaccination against the new coronavirus infection. The first COVID-19 vaccines were developed to combat the 2020 strains. “A new vaccine against new strains is being developed,” the doctor shares.
Is Covid coming back?
In the summer, the Covid hospital was closed.
“We discharged the last patient and worked as usual for several weeks,” Tatyana Symbelova recalls with a smile. “But this did not last long; after a few weeks, 1-2 cases began to be identified. And yet this is not a pandemic.
Not all patients with positive results are subject to hospitalization; more often they are ill in a mild form or even without symptoms or complaints.
— There are no critical figures, but there is an increase. I can’t say for sure which strain is dominant now. We only determine in the laboratory the presence of Covid itself. Genotyping is carried out by research laboratories, including Rospotrebnadzor. According to their data, in 2023, omicron was the most common, the delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 was much less common,” says the infectious disease specialist.
The disease occurs in the form of pharyngitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, affecting up to 25% of the lungs. This is due to the milder course of the disease itself and the development of collective immunity over these 4 years of the spread of covid.
There is natural immunity in recovered patients. The virus is no longer so dangerous for them now, because they have developed antibodies to it, notes Tatyana Symbelova.
“We do not treat complications, but we can say that our colleagues, after three and a half years of the pandemic, are noticing the consequences of the disease. Dementia develops more quickly in older people, and more often they go to hospitals with damage to the cardiovascular system, including coronary heart disease, kidney damage, and liver damage. Those who previously suffered from Covid note that many illnesses have become more severe, says the doctor.
Moved to seasonal
As the infectious disease specialist notes, Covid has most likely acquired the status of a seasonal disease.
“Now a period of cold weather has arrived, and along with this, a seasonal increase in respiratory viral infections has begun. If you suspect that you have Covid, you need to see a doctor and get tested. Treatment of mild forms can be done at home, concluded Tatyana Symbelova.
The infectious disease specialist also does not forget about the seasonal increase in influenza, against which there is still time to get a vaccine. This vaccine is updated annually depending on the WHO forecast; a 4-valent vaccine against influenza A and B is used.
Acute respiratory infections transmitted by airborne droplets in the cold season cause a heavy burden on clinics, infectious diseases departments and hospitals. Some patients become seriously ill, and the consequences can last a lifetime. Therefore, their prevention in winter is especially important.
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