The Omicron-new variant of COVID-19 has already reached the western region of Europe. Health experts in low vaccinated Eastern Europe expect a post-holidays explosion in COVID-19 cases in much of the area.
Many countries in the Eastern Europe have recently suffered a wave of infections that have had a devastating impact on the health system and may have recorded some of the highest pandemic mortality rates in the world.
Today, Omicron has already been identified throughout the region, and winter vacations bring more community gatherings and international travel. Public health authorities are predicting that the virus will surge in the coming weeks.
Adriana Pistol, director of the Romanian National Center for Infectious Disease Surveillance, warned Wednesday that the country could see 25,000 new daily cases during the expected next wave.
Romania is considered as the second least vaccinated nation in Europe.
Pistol said, “Noting that around 60% of Romania’s population over the age of 65 or victims suffering from illness are almost unvaccinated. Even if the Omicron does not contain the same level of severity, even then, it will havoc on the health system.”
Romania saw a massive wave of passengers arrive at their homes during Christmas, mainly from Western Europe.
Only 40% of the 19 million people in Romania have been vaccinated against COVID-19.
Pistol further added that, “booster dose is considered as necessary to provide adequate protection against Omicron. three-quarters of the country’s fully jabbed individuals have yet to receive an additional shot.”
Exhausted medical staff were scared to watch as high-vaccination countries such as France, Italy, and the United Kingdom reported record cases of the recent Omicron epidemic.
Dragos Zaharia, a general practitioner at the Marius Nasta Respiratory Institute in Bucharest, said, “It is evident that the fifth wave will hit us in January.”
“We hope that the number of deaths will decrease, the number of severe cases will decrease, and the number of hospitalizations will decrease.”
