Coronavirus cases are expected to increase during the autumn and winter months but we are ready to deal with them, Constantinos Tsioutis, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and Infection Prevention and Control at the European University Cyprus has told CNA, stressing that the health system has been bolstered with experience while people have been trained in prevention measures.
Replying to CNA questions, Tsioutis, who is also a member of an advisory team of experts on COVID-19, expressed optimism over the course of the disease in Cyprus right now.
“It seems that things are following a better course and it is likely that this is attributed to additional measures in place since the beginning of August,” he noted.
He stressed that apart from Cyprus, all other countries are also concerned about how the situation will evolve during the autumn and winter months, mainly due to weather conditions which will increase the number of people crowding in closed spaces and the expected increase of seasonal viral diseases and influenza.
Tsioutis further noted that extensive planning is necessary on many different levels and services including education, the health system, the business sector and the working area but also on an individual level.
“An increase (of cases) is expected,” he said, adding that “it would be desirable for this increase to be controlled and that everything we have learnt to implement in the past six months, such as avoiding crowded areas, avoiding close contact, avoiding spaces with many people and poor ventilation are the most important measures which prevent a wide spread of the virus and it is these measures each and every one of us should follow in the coming autumn and winter months.”
He pointed out that it is very easy for a spike to take place and quite difficult to control it, adding that due to seasonal diseases in the autumn and winter there will be more people with respiratory symptoms and we should expect more coronavirus cases and be prepared to diagnose them in a timely manner in order for them to be isolated and receive the appropriate medical care.
Asked whether a new lockdown will be imposed, he said he considers it “unlikely and it would be a last resort and certainly not something that anyone would wish to happen.”
Professor Tsioutis expressed optimism that the situation will be controlled in the coming months.
“Cyprus has put in place certain measures until January and because a plan of action is already in place, as long as everyone implements individual measures which are continuously announced, we are optimistic that we will not reach worrying levels,” he said.
Asked whether the coronavirus situation will at some point end, he expressed the view that “it will not end. What we are waiting and hoping will happen, especially after the wide use of the vaccine, which however is not expected to start before the spring of 2021 is that virus transmission and spread will drop to such a degree that we will witness a number of cases but they will be isolated.”
Once the population becomes largely immune due to vaccination the virus will be able to be transmitted to many people which would in turn lead to a new spike in cases, he added.
We are ready to deal with any situation in the coming months
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Replying to a question as to whether we are likely to see three-digit numbers of cases in the autumn and winter, Tsioutis expressed the hope that this will not be the case.
“Given the experience we have gained and the planning in place for the winter I believe that this is a very far-fetched scenario,” he said.
The condition for us is not to see similar numbers of cases such as in March and April is to continue to behave as we have done so far and to understand that this must continue at least until the winter is over, he added.
Asked to comment as to whether he believes we are ready to deal with any situation in the coming months, he replied positively.
“We ready, firstly because we have protocols in place for all public spaces but we also have a health policy for locating cases in a timely manner through the contact tracing which has been working very well so far and isolating and monitoring them,” he noted.
“We also have revised treatment protocols on the basis of bibliography, which continue to be revised regularly,” he said, adding that “the health system has also been appropriately prepared.”
To that extent he referred to the fact that a reference hospital is in place, a new ICU is operational, health professionals have been trained to manage suspect and confirmed cases and the primary health care is also updated and has been mobilised since March.
Asked how one can tell apart coronavirus symptoms from flu symptoms he said that although there are details in the different clinical appearance of the two it is difficult to tell them apart. “Certainly, the epidemiological history of a person with symptoms will play a role as well as whether that person has been vaccinated against the flu which will greatly reduce the possibility of it being the flu.”
Replying to a question as to whether the flu vaccine will also help prevent against the coronavirus he said that “it does not help or protect (against the coronavirus) but it will help vulnerable groups in reducing their chances to have flu symptoms.”
No problems anticipated with the operation of schools
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Professor Tsioutis said that from the experience gained in May, which was a very positive one, we are starting with a very good basis in the schools, because it seems that the frequency of the virus occurring within the community in Cyprus has decreased greatly.
“Finding positive cases in schools cannot be ruled out, but because (school operation) was already tested in May and there are analytical health protocols there will be no problem generally,” he added.
Referring to the use of protective masks, he recalled that it is mandatory for students over 12 years old.
“For all other ages it is advisable but it is not mandatory,” he said. He advised parents to train their children on the correct use of a mask independently of their age and that the children have a mask with them at school and wear it in indoors spaces if they can.
Asked about vaccines Cyprus has ordered and their side effects he said that this is a discussion which unfortunately always arises, particularly when a new vaccine becomes available.
According to Tsioutis all vaccines approved by the national programmes on vaccinations are very safe and some side effects may be observed in a low percentage of people and are not worrying.
On the coronavirus vaccine, he noted, publications from phase 2 clinical trials at least have shown that they are safe and their long-term impact on health has not yet been confirmed. When phase 3 clinical trials are complete we will have information on the safety and effectiveness of vaccines and a better picture, he added.
However, he pointed out, international organisations approving the use of vaccines analyse in great detail the data before granting approval and the first thing they look at is safety.
