According to the heads at Sepsiszentgyörgy/Sfântu Gheorghe Hospital, the recurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic’s first wave is happening right now in Romania.
Since mid-May, Sepsiszentgyörgy Hospital has had its own PCR laboratory, meaning that the coronavirus tests can be quickly conducted on the spot and, depending on the results, patients who are fully recovered or showing no symptoms can be quickly released, said the hospital’s medical director, Mátyás Rosu, during an online press conference on Wednesday, reported szekelyhon.ro.
According to data released on Wednesday at noon, 15 patients were admitted to the hospital. Three of them are infected with coronavirus and are in critical condition and being treated with intensive therapy; another 11 are suspected of having COVID-19, and one is infected and on life support.
In the past week, 26 people have been released from the hospital, said hospital director Róbert András-Nagy. He further emphasized:
Although the number of infected people has recently increased in Romania, his opinion is that this is not the second wave of the pandemic, but the recurrence of the first one.
According to the hospital director, it is happening because people are taking the protective measures too lightly. Wearing a mask in warm weather is uncomfortable, but it has been proven to help slow down the spread of the virus, he said.
Neglected illnesses apart from COVID-19
There are also many patients who have been neglecting other illnesses due to the pandemic. Mátyás Rosu explained that according to studies, many deaths have occurred worldwide because of neglected clinical pictures. They are now treating 130 patients in the institution who need help because of reasons other than COVID-19. But due to the mandatory social distancing, the hospital’s capacity has been halved, so they are trying to solve everything possible with one-day referrals.
Hospital employees working in protective clothing are suffering from the heat
It requires a great deal of effort to treat patients while wearing protective clothing in the summer heat of nearly 30 degrees Celsius, the hospital directors pointed out. Róbert András-Nagy recalled that at the beginning of the pandemic, the Health Ministry drew up some proposals for the hospitals to not use the air-conditioning equipment because they can contribute to the spread of the virus. So now in the Sepsiszentgyörgy hospital, they are protecting themselves from the heat with light-reflecting foil instead.
Mátyás Rosu noted that as a result of the pandemic, the level of cooperation among health professionals has increased, and the doctors and assistants are working in teams. For example, if somebody feels dizzy or faints during an operation because of the heat, there is somebody else on the scene who can replace him/her immediately.
Title Image: Dr. Fogolyán Kristóf County Emergency Hospital in Sepsiszentgyörgy (photo: Attila Pinti/szekelhyon.ro)
