Belarus preparing for possible COVID-19 surge in autumn

Healthcare facilities of Belarus are getting ready for a possible rise in COVID-19 cases this autumn, BelTA learned from the press release posted on the website of the Healthcare Ministry, BelTA informs.

“Despite a slight drop in cases this summer, the pandemic has not gone away, and we certainly expect another rise in cases in September-October. Healthcare workers could have a little respite in the summer, but now we are starting to prepare for the autumn,” the press service wrote quoting Healthcare Minister Dmitry Pinevich.

According to him, Belarus has learned to live with COVID-19. Healthcare facilities have a 6-month supply of medicines, and more than a 3-month supply of personal protective equipment. About 6,000 out of almost 77,000 hospital beds are now used by COVID-19 patients. Over more than a year, a total of more than Br1.2 million was paid to frontline healthcare workers.

Dmitry Pinevich inspected Minsk Central District Hospital that was converted into an infectious diseases hospital on 3 April 2020. Depending on the intensity of the pandemic, the hospital used from 262 to 342 beds. Over this time, the hospital staff cured more than 6,000 patients, over 250 of them were on mechanical ventilation. The hospital admitted people from nearly all parts of Minsk Oblast, and the city of Minsk.

At the meeting with healthcare professionals of Minsk District, the minister discussed schedules of doctors and nurses, vaccinations and the pandemic curve. In the intensive care unit, the minister was told about the case history of each patient, as well as the chosen treatment. The specialists also discussed the use of glucocorticoids in patients with acute respiratory failure and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for most severe cases.

Written by: belta.by