Still five-digit number - more than 17.000 newly infected

Still five-digit number - more than 17.000 newly infected

36.830 people were tested.

There are 117 patients on the respirator, and 2.694 patients with COVID-19 are on hospital treatment.

Coronavirus took 13.181 lives in Serbia, and the mortality rate is 0.88.

"The peak of the wave in February, even the youngest should not attend school"

Epidemiologist Dr Radmilo Petrović stated that he expects the peak of the coronavirus wave to be in the first half of February.

He stated that it is not known exactly when the pandemic will end, because the coronavirus is full of surprises, but that vaccination is the only way to protect people, because the vaccine protects for 24 hours, and masks only while we wear them.

Petrovic stated for TV Tanjug that the celebration of the baptismal feasts in the presence of a large number of people contributed to the increase in the number of those infected. He stated that, unlike the previous waves, omicron spreads faster, but that the clinical picture of patients is easier, and that he expects increased pressure on health centers and ambulances in the next period.

"The question is how long our health system can last, health workers are already tired of so many patients who come for testing," said Petrovic.

In his opinion, the solution would be to increase the number of COVID clinics and reduce the queues, so that people would not give up the examination due to the large crowds. Petrovic reminds that he warned before the New Year not to organize celebrations indoors, because he knew that it would cause an "explosion" of the disease within a new wave.

"All this enabled the easy spread of the new strain of the virus, because it is easier to transmit, the incubation is shorter, a smaller number is enough to become infected, and that leads to an explosive epidemic," said Petrovic.

When asked how to motivate young people to get vaccinated, Petrovic said that it is difficult, because young people are too confident and believe that vaccination is not necessary, and such an attitude is wrong, because it is much better to receive the vaccine, because wearing a mask is only a temporary delay in getting infected.