“Covid Numbers Hit Record High. Polyclinics of Belarus Flooded”

Medical institutions are experiencing an influx of covid patients.

Neighbouring Latvia and Lithuania hit records high - 9 thousand and 10 thousand new cases per day. The Belarusian official statistics has been growing since mid-January. However, it does not exceed the threshold set by the propaganda. What do we know about the situation on the local level?

"All the smears we took proved covid"

GPs in polyclinics are recording a significant increase. One of the Minsk polyclinics informed that the other day there was a spike in new cases - more than 160 a day. This happened only in their institution. Such figures have never been registered before, writes Nasha Niva.

"Seventy per cent of the tests are positive. The last time, all the smears we took at the appointments detected Covid," shares the GP.

Many doctors are ill in his polyclinic. The rest have to stay late for appointments. Sometimes they are free only at 10 pm. If earlier medical students or BRYU members helped (they were entrusted, for example, to carry out the prescriptions), now it is not available.

However, GP notes now people tend to have a slight version of the disease. This is explained by the peculiarity of omicron (Minsk City Center of Hygiene and Epidemiology reported 80% of covid cases in the capital are caused by this particular strain).

"The doctor has had only a runny nose. If she hadn't done the test, she wouldn't have known it was corona," recalls the interlocutor.

District center: GPs observe the growth, but not the hospitals

A paramedic in one of the district centers of the Vitebsk region notes they have few covid calls.

"Yes, they often call when they. However, it's neither delta nor omicron strain. We pre-diagnose "acute respiratory infection" unless pneumonia is suspected.

Meanwhile, a colleague from the polyclinic says that he has been adding more than ten patients a day for two weeks now - the morbidity rate is increasing", says the medical professional.

There are enough beds in the district hospital, even the paediatrics department used for covid patients in the previous waves has returned to normal operation. At the same time, there are a lot of heavy patients.

"Omicron may be easier to handle, but there are other strains. The pulmonology intensive care unit is operating normally. There are several free beds," the paramedic notes.

Hospitals in large cities are once again preparing to add covid units

Hospitals in large cities are already experiencing an increase in patients. The situation has been worsening since mid-January.

"A few months ago, there were ten empty beds in each department. Now people stay in corridors," says a doctor working in a hospital ER in the capital. There are six units set for covid patients.

She adds their intensive care units are always full. Several Minsk hospitals discuss the possibility of switching to a covid regime.

Doctors in one of the Vitebsk hospitals are also preparing to give an additional unit for covid (it was only made clean in December and is now being returned for coronavirus patients).

"There is a tendency for the number of patients to increase. The growth began after the New Year's holidays, plus 20 per cent. The situation is not critical; there are still enough beds. Amicron runs easier, its symptoms are similar to acute roto-viral infections. However, its contagiousness is higher than other strains," says the Vitebsk health care professional.