The Balkan country's dispensaries that opened due to the coronavirus are slowly closing up shop again. There are still new cases with human lives are at risk and the flu epidemic is also imminent, warns an epidemiologist.

Authorities registered over two million coronavirus patients

In the past two and a half years, Covid out-patient facilities have been an important pillar in the treatment of coronavirus patients. However, with the end of the epidemic, they slowly began to cease operations. The process began in Belgrade. According to the health ministry’s estimate, there is no longer a need to create a separate unit for the infected in every health centre in the capital, and they have decided to operate separate clinics in only two locations.

During the epidemic, these medical facilities served as a go-to point point for patients. In practice, anyone who had a slight fever or cough was not even received by the general practitioner, they were immediately sent to the Covid clinics. There, a rapid test was performed, and then, based on the results, a medical examination followed. If the patient tested positive, a more thorough examination followed, including a lung X-ray, or some blood tests. In the case of more severe symtoms or infections, the patient was hospitalised.

Authorities in Serbia have registered more than 2.4 million infected people since the beginning of the pandemic. There was enormous pressure on the specialised clinics at the spikes of infection waves. Health workers tested up to 20,000 people for coronavirus every single day. Because of capacity issues, in some cases patients having a fever were forced to wait outside in the cold for hours, or deployed into makeshift military tents equipped with improvised heaters.

Now, as the dispensaries are closing, people rightly ask where to turn in case of respiratory complaints and fever.

Ministry: freed capacities can help other patients

The health ministry justifies its decision with the waning of the epidemic, and the appearance of several other respiratory infections typical of the season. Therefore, the emphasis should now be placed on their treatment.

According to official figures, only 731 new coronavirus incidents were registered in the Balkan country on Monday, and 8 people lost their lives in the fight against the virus. 191 patients are being treated in hospitals, 23 of them are on ventilator.

„People’s focus has been on the coronavirus for the past two years, but now we are facing other respiratory infections that last for a few days and have nothing to do with Covid. As the coronavirus is subduing, the number of classic seasonal respiratory infections is increasing,” Aleksandar Stefoski, state secretary of health, told Euronews.

Mr Stefoski highlighted that patients having a fever should visit the respiratory infections departments, adding that rapid tests are only carried out if doctors suspect a Covid case. With some precautionary measures still in place, it is mandatory for people to wear protective masks in all health institutions in Serbia.

After Covid, people fear the flu

According to the epidemiologist, this year the flu will be more severe than usual in Serbia, because in the last 2 years, people developed almost no immunity due to the wearing of masks. He warned that complications can also develop. Influenza cases have already been registered in Belgrade and Novi Sad.

The disease could be more dangerous this year, Bohucki Nebojsa confirmed in an interview with Pannon Television. He pointed out that people who have not been administered the flu jab (appr. 95 per cent) practically have not encountered the virus and thus, their resistance is weaker.

In a clinical aspect, higher fevers may occur during the illness, and pneumonia may develop as a complication in several cases, the specialist said. A serious flu epidemic is expected to evolve in January and February, Mr Bohucki warned, stressing that it is not too late to get vaccinated in order to avoid contracting the disease.