Health official: New type of coronavirus still in Azerbaijan and still dangerous

Gahraman Hagverdiyev, director of the Public Health and Reforms Center of the Ministry of Health of Azerbaijan, answered citizens' questions related to coronavirus.

- What is the overall global situation with the COVID-19 pandemic?

- Due to the high level of vaccination in the population in Azerbaijan, the epidemiological situation remains stable and is under strict control of the relevant health authorities. On the instructions of the Ministry of Health, the Center for Public Health and Reforms (CPHR) closely monitors the situation on COVID-19 in the world, including in our country, and analyzes the results of recent studies. Unfortunately, since mid-June of this year, there has been an increase in the number of coronavirus infections worldwide, and some virologists are predicting another pandemic wave. Over the past two weeks, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of COVID-19 cases worldwide. Thus, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the incidence of covid is increasing in at least 110 countries worldwide.

- What is the increase in COVID-19 infections related to?

- Experts justify this growth with new variants of the virus, which have been spreading since June of this year and are more contagious than previous ones. Omicron is now leading the epidemic, infecting 290 million people in seven months. Its lethality rate is low, somewhere around 0.35 percent (the number of deaths among Omicron patients), and it is lower in the areas where vaccination is actively being conducted. According to epidemiologists, the weakening or complete elimination of anti-pandemic measures contributes to the more rapid spread of new strains. But there is good news: the number of complications and fatalities is much lower than in the previous period when such strains as Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and the most dangerous of all - Delta - dominated. Naturally, the emergence of an encouraging situation is closely related to the level of vaccination in the population. However, despite this, an increase in the number of infections can lead to an increase in mortality rates, although not to the same extent as from the Delta variant. This is the reason why the World Health Organization has begun to sound the alarm.

- There is also a certain increase in the number of cases of infection in our country...

- Unfortunately, Azerbaijan is also experiencing an increase in COVID-19 cases. There is also a weekly increase in neighboring countries. Thus, for the last two weeks, significant growth in the number of those infected with coronavirus was noted in neighboring Türkiye, Iran, Georgia, and Russia.

There is a widespread belief among the population that coronavirus disease continues as an acute respiratory viral infection (ARVI) and, in case of infection, it can be cured in a short period of time. However, you should be aware that even a mild course of the disease can cause post-COVID syndrome in a sick person, which can last 6 months or more.

Due to the appearance of new mutations of the COVID-19 virus, its clinical picture is almost unchanged. Thus, with the disease, high fever, weakness, headaches, muscle pain, abdominal pain, and diarrhea are noted. Preventive measures also remained unchanged. They include frequent and proper hand washing (at least 20 seconds), keeping a social distance (about 1.5-2 meters), wearing masks in crowded places, especially in closed rooms and public transport, and regular airing of rooms. At the first signs of viral infection, you should see a doctor and reduce contact with people around you to a minimum until the doctor arrives. If symptoms persist, it is mandatory to be tested for coronavirus infection.

I recommend citizens be as careful as possible. Do not forget that the new type of coronavirus is still with us and is still dangerous. By following these simple preventive measures, we can protect ourselves and our loved ones not only from coronavirus but also from other infectious diseases.