The National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) of Ukraine will gather for a meeting on Wednesday, June 23, to discuss the threat to Ukraine of the “Indian” strain of coronavirus, said chairman of the parliamentary committee for the nation’s health, medical care and medical insurance Mykhailo Radutsky.
“Tomorrow, a meeting is planned at the National Security and Defense Council, at which one of the questions concerns precisely the threat of the appearance of an ‘Indian’ strain in Ukraine. Ukrainians are tired of quarantine, but the situation is really threatening,” Radutsky wrote on his Facebook page.
He noted that the Ministry of Health of Ukraine is starting to prepare to fight the “delta” (Indian) strain of coronavirus, adding that according to the estimates of infectious disease specialists, 96% of all new cases of coronavirus are now the “Indian” strain. The outbreak has suspended plans to end quarantine in the kingdom.
“There is a risk that the wave will subsequently reach Ukraine. According to Public Health England, the ‘delta strain’ is 1.6 times more aggressive than those already well known to us: 2.3 times more likely to lead to hospitalization, 1.5 times more often – to resuscitation. To start an outbreak in the region, a small number of infected people are enough – the virus is so aggressive that even one sick person can provoke an epidemic,” Radutsky said.
He also stressed that in Ukraine there is still no technical possibility to independently identify the “Indian” strain.
“Recently, the Ministry of Health has sent 500 samples from different regions to a London laboratory. We also expect new test systems from WHO that can immediately detect the delta strain,” wrote the head of the committee.
According to Radutsky, now it is necessary to return mandatory PCR testing at the border, in particular, to introduce strict control for Ukrainians who return not only from Russia, Great Britain, but also from resort destinations – Turkey, Egypt, etc.
“In addition, in my opinion, vaccinations against coronavirus should urgently be given to groups that, by occupation, face a large number of people: workers in the transport industry, catering, teachers and others. A regular PCR testing can be introduced as an alternative to vaccination,” he said.
The “delta strain” also affects people who have already had coronavirus. It is important to establish a centralized collection of data on all cases of COVID-19 disease, identifying more or less vulnerable groups of the population to the virus. And planning quarantine with this in mind,” he added.
Radutsky noted that now Ukraine has time to get hospitals ready: purchase the necessary equipment, install oxygen stations, and strengthen the teams of doctors.
