If the schools are opened, there will be terrible transmission of the virus, the member of the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) tells CNA, Professor of Microbiology/Molecular Virology at the Medical School of the University of Nicosia, Dr Petros Karagiannis, expressing hope that the right decisions will be taken during tomorrow's meeting of the Advisory Council with the Minister of Health.
"At the moment there is concern regarding schools whether they could open on January 10 under safe conditions," he said.
We were looking forward to the festive period, he said, "to drop the number of cases in children going to school but at the moment because of the spike we are seeing in Omicron infections this has not been achieved. On the contrary, cases in the family environment have increased."
[/P]"By extension, we expect that if schools open there will be terrible transmission. Because of the large number of children, teachers and professors who are in self-limitation either because they are sick or contacts, schools will not open under the right conditions," he added.
He expressed hope that the right decisions regarding schools will be taken at the meeting of the SSC with the Minister of Health tomorrow.
Asked what other measures are expected to be taken, Dr Karagiannis said we will have to see the data presented by the Tracing Unit on exactly where most of the cases are. "If it's in the home environment, there's not much we can do,maybe bring the total number back from 20 to 10 in homes but after the holiday season, maybe that won't matter much."
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Increase in hospitalizations
Dr. Karagiannis pointed out that scientists expected that there would be an increase in hospitalizations. "We expected that. Because of the huge number of cases we have had in the last period, it is not surprising to have an increase in hospitalizations. Certainly there will be a further increase. We hope that it will not be to such an extent that the health system will be stolen," he added.
Increase in the number of intubated
It is a fact, Dr Karagiannis said, that for the first time we have had an increase in the number of intubated patients.
"We now have more than 30 intubated patients, after a period of between 18 and 22," he added.
Source: CNA
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