The Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Infectious Diseases at the University of Cyprus and Chairman of the Special Committee of the Pancyprian Medical Association for the treatment of Maronoli Koroni, notes that the positivity index in Cyprus has slightly exceeded the 4% threshold recommended by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
Expected daily high numbers
According to Ms. Koliou, who is also a member of the Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Health, the positivity index should fall below 4%, in order to find a halt to the epidemic.
According to Ms. Koliou, the measures will probably not be relaxed until December 14, noting that a bigger picture of where we are will be fifteen days after the last measures are taken.
On the occasion of yesterday's high number of cases, she said that she is not particularly worried, since, as she explained, there is a race for diagnostic tests, in order to identify as many positives in the virus as possible and to isolate them.
"So it makes sense that we will find higher numbers. What worries me is the percentage of those who come out positive. The ECDC prefers to have below 4% and this percentage is a bit high in Cyprus. It seems that in the last one or two days we have slightly exceeded this limit and this is certainly worrying in combination with the increased admissions to hospitals and ICUs. However, our data are worrying ", he noted.
In 15 days a clearer picture
Asked about the measures taken by the Government in force since last Monday, Ms. Koliou expressed the assessment that time should be given to the measures, however, she added that after 15 days needed to see a clearer picture "we will not see maybe a huge change. "
"The truth is that at the moment we are seeing the results of the previous 10-15 days. When it comes to hospital admissions, if you estimate that a patient takes about 5 to 6 days from the time they become positive to get worse and go to the hospital, you realize that someone who enters the hospital today has been ill for at least a week or more. "Therefore, we do not see the current picture at the moment," he said.
Regarding the epidemiological picture that Cyprus must have by December 14, he said that "the most critical point is the admissions to the hospitals and the pressure that the health system is receiving", adding that from there on there must be stabilization or reduction of the positivity index, with the ideal falling below 3%.
Final solution with the vaccine
Asked if there will be a final solution with the vaccine, Ms. Koliou estimated that there will be, saying that "the vaccines announced by the companies and the organizations that approve them seem to have very good results".
"I believe," he said, "that a final solution will be found through its implementation, given that of course the people will do it."
He also said that there must be compliance for the vaccine to work, adding that "a good percentage of the population, which is estimated at around 70% of the population, must be vaccinated in order to have good results."
Answering another related question, he said that "when 70% of the population is vaccinated and the virus exists, a shield of protection is created, so it can not do the problems it creates today."
Source: KYPE