The third wave of the pandemic in Serbia: A difficult and uncertain outcome

The third wave of the pandemic in Serbia: A difficult and uncertain outcome

We are drained, had no vacation at all, or just a short break, and each new wave hit harder and harder on them.

"Presently we have a large number of severe cases, patients with a severe clinical picture. The main difference is that there is a significant rise of female patients, more women get sick than before. Secondly, an increased number of patients develops a very severe clinical picture within a four-day period of the onset of the disease.

We used to stay at home, trying to get well for five, six, seven, or even ten days, causing a delayed first examination. "Now we have people who get sick and after three or four days, they develop a difficult clinical picture and they are literally sent from triage, from admission, directly to the intensive care unit," Markovic told RTS.

He also added the number of younger patients critically ill is on a rise, but that the largest number of seriously ill are among the older population. However, he added that they have a lot of young people ill and they constantly repeat that this virus is strange, the rules are difficult to grasp and a completely healthy person can die.

That’s why, Markovic warned, caution is of utmost importance because "we never know when and how someone will react."

"There are also younger, extremely obese patients who come to our intensive care unit, and the outcome of such treatments is very difficult and uncertain," Markovic explained.

He pointed out that some patients are aware but most of them are not aware of they became infected.

Contacts within the households and within families cannot be ruled out, since senior citizens also have their younger ones.

Sometimes, it is about contact with a sick family member.

Clinical Center and Batajnica Covid hospital – Two-track work

Markovic emphasized that they work on two tracks: in the Clinical Center, where they take care of patients with another disease too, and, the other track is - the Covid hospital in Batajnica.

That’s the reason why they need help and, as he stated, they have it from all over Serbia.

"Some people got used to it, some did not; almost all of them have gone through some Covid hospitals. We are here to support them and introduce them to our work process. At any given time, some 150 or even 200 medical workers work in the intensive care unit in Batajnica Covid hospital. There are even more nurses working there. They all give their best at this extremely demanding job," Markovic said.

The hardest thing for them is the life lost, and all those younger ones who didn't win the battle against Covid left a mark on all of them.

"However, a new day comes tomorrow, and a young life escapes, survives, wins the battle with Covid, and that gives us the energy and wings to continue fighting again and that goes on day after day like that," Markovic pointed out.

He emphasized that it seems that there is no solution yet.

"Practically, it seems that we are facing two possibilities, one is the Chinese model with complete closure and the other one is the Israeli model of mass vaccination. If we mix both, a little lockdown and a lot of vaccination, I think we can get on the right track and get out of this mess," concluded Dejan Markovic in his statement for RTS.