DOCTOR BEKIĆ: I am more afraid of relaxing during celebrations than of omicron

The director of the Savski Venac Health Center in Belgrade and the coordinator of vaccination points at the Belgrade Fair and shopping centers “Gallery” and “Usce”, Zoran Bekic, said that the epidemiological situation is better, and school holidays and covid pass give effects.

– If we look at the end of October, when we had between 6,000 and 7,000 infected daily – now that number is between 2,000 and 2,500, there is less pressure on the hospital and the ambulance – said Bekić.

According to him, now the thing is better than it was.

– At the end of October, there were between 400 and 500 examinations a day at the Savski Venac Health Center, and now there are between 200 and 250, less on weekends. There are a large number of deaths. Now is the time when the epidemiological situation is better to speed up immunization – says Bekić.

– If the fifth wave and the appearance of omicron occurs in European countries, we cannot expect anything better if we stay at this level of immunization – says Dr. Bekić.

“As soon as the number of newly infected people falls, so does the interest in immunization.”

He stated that at the Belgrade Fair and all points within the Savski Venac Health Center, there is less interest in immunization in recent days, as soon as the number of newly infected people falls, so does the interest in immunization.

It is immunized daily with the first doses between 2,000 and 3,600 people, with the second dose between 3,500 and 5,000, with the third dose between 15,000 and 23,000 people – 25,000 to 28,000 immunized people a day.

– At the end of October, we applied between 35,000 a day. and 45,000 doses, the first doses were twice as big, between 4,500 and 6,500 – we relax again and let the crown take the initiative, which cost us dearly every time – says Bekić.

Bekić emphasizes that there is a direct correlation between the number of immunized and the number of deceased persons. In countries that have a high percentage of immunization, such as Portugal or Denmark, over 85 percent, the number of deaths is small, two, three deaths.

According to him, if we look at Romania and Bulgaria, where the immunization rate is slightly more than 30%, the situation is catastrophic, with a large number of deaths.

– In our country, the percentage of immunized is a little more than 58 percent, that is small from the point of view of collective immunity and we will not achieve anything if we stop now, and we have slowed down – said Bekić.

What is more feared – a new strain or glory and the New Year

Bekić says that he is more afraid of relaxing during celebrations than of omicron. He, as he says, appeared and in time he will come to us.

Speaking about children and coronavirus, Bekić points out that the situation is better, schools work classically, but he points out that caution is needed, before the holidays in the Savski venac Health Center there were between 15 and 25 positive children a day, now up to two children are positive.

He adds that children are carriers of the virus, and the clinical picture in children is becoming increasingly difficult. At the age of 12 to 17, 3.34 percent were immunized.

– It is not enough and that is why we will follow the numbers in schools and we will see what is happening in the ambulances – whether it will switch to a combined model or an extension of the winter vacation, which is necessary in this condition – says Bekić.

– Vaccines are safe and protect our health – concluded Dr. Bekić.