Bulgaria’s Health Minister: There Is Steady Upward Trend in Morbidity Mainly Owing to British Variant of Covid-19

Over the past 14 days, we have seen a slight but steady trend towards a gradual rise in both morbidity and bed occupancy rates in hospitals. We also see a good trend and will analyze chances that it will continue – the number of cured relative to the number of confirmed cases – close to 1:3.

That's what Health Minister Prof. Kostadin Angelov said during the weekly briefing on the current epidemic situation and the anti-epidemic measures put in place, BGNES reported.

Nationwide, the occupancy rate of beds in hospitals for Covid patients without complications is 48%, and in intensive care ward beds are occupied at 53%.

Covid incidence rate is increasing only in separate regions, the health minister said.

We are discussing the implementation of a local approach to control the epidemic in individual places in the country, Angelov said.

The medics who are infected are currently 733 active cases, as 86 of them are hospitalized, seven are in intensive care and the rest are treated at home.

The worsening epidemic situation in the country is due to the circulation of the new variant of the virus, the so-called British strain, Prof. Kostadin Angelov said adding that at the meeting with the Prime Minister on Wednesday Prof. Todor Kantardzhiev has confirmed this information.

The upward morbidity trend is also due to the lifting of measures that have been in effect so far, but also to the fact that the British strain is more contagious and spreads faster, the health minister said.

Morbidity rate now is 285 per 100,000, which ranks Bulgaria 18th in the European Union and 5th in the Balkans, said Chief State Health Inspector Assoc.Prof. Angel Kunchev during the briefing.

Whether in this third wave we reach the peaks of the Czech Republic, which is the country with the highest morbidity in the world at the moment, or not, depends entirely on us and our behavior, said Kunchev.

He announced that as of today the hospital in Burgas cancels the planned visits of GPs patients. The state chief inspector recommended that other major hospitals in the country, where there has been an increase in cases, do the same.

The Head of the national vaccination task forceProf.Krassimir Gigov reported in turn that a total of nearly 250,000 people have been vaccinated so far, and 41,000 have received a second jab as 45,000 of immunised are GPs.

Assoc.Prof. Kunchev also commented that in terms of contagiousness after the British starin come the South African and then the Brazilian variants of Covid-19. We don't stir fear and psychosis, we can't help telling the truth, said Angel Kunchev.

The Health Minister added that the point of vaccination is to save the Bulgarian people. Every day we have to disprove lies. Every Thursday, we hold briefings and tell the truth without politicizing it, Prof. Kostadin Angelov added.

Why there is a hike in infection rate despite the restrictions, even in the countries with the most stringent measures? The answer is simple – people are returning to their normal lifestyle, the Health Minister said, adding: "The Bulgarian model works because with the most leneant measures we achieve the best results.

In response to a journalist‘s question, Prof. Angelov said there is no clinical study to prove that a third shot is needed for Pfizer's vaccine. These are mere speculations in themedia, in his opinion.

The minister also said that election campaigns should be conducted remotely, preferably outdoors and in compliance with the anti-epidemic measures. /BGNES

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