Saving the sick is the work of the sick

Ksenia Melnikova

Records in the number of infected and hospitalized, bans, lack of tests – the coronavirus infection broke out brighter than ever. After the winter holidays, a new wave of the pandemic has covered even countries with high vaccination rates. The World Health Organization is pessimistic. An increase in the incidence is expected in Russia as well.
Every day – a million sick
In the next six to eight weeks, more than half of Europe’s population will be infected with the omicron, said Hans Kluge, head of the European department of the World Health Organization (WHO). Such data was provided to him by the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.
Fifty countries in Europe and Central Asia are already suffering from this strain. Due to mutations, it is easier to fix on human cells, so even those who have been ill and vaccinated become infected, doctors say.
In Europe, in the first week of January, there are more than seven million new cases. But the maximum number of people infected is in the United States. During the day, 1.35 million infected were identified, half of them were “omicron”. As noted by the Bloomberg agency, these are only those who officially went on sick leave. Many take rapid tests and do not report positive results to the authorities for fear of being left without a salary. “Some colleagues come to work sick or referring to allergies because they have no other choice,” the CBS TV channel quoted a trader who asked not to be named for fear of losing his job.
Companies like the largest grocery chain Kroger are imposing sanctions on unvaccinated employees. They are deprived of benefits, and if they become infected, they will not be able to issue a certificate of incapacity for work. At Walmart, due to labor shortages, paid sick leave has been cut from two weeks to one. Rapid tests, which until recently were freely sold in pharmacies or online stores, are now difficult to find, says 58-year-old Mary from Albany: “They were simply swept off the shelves.
Saving the sick is the work of the sick
At the same time, the United States broke the record for hospitalization. More than 135 thousand people were admitted to hospitals. In some states, clinics cannot cope with the flow of patients. Planned operations are sometimes canceled – people are discharged as soon as possible in order to free beds. Despite protests from trade unions and the American Medical Association, even those doctors who are on sick leave with coronavirus are called to work, Politico reports.
The country lacks not only healthy doctors, but also drivers, public utilities, and teachers. Thousands of schools have been quarantined. Flights are being massively canceled due to a surge in the incidence of diseases. New York has cut the number of trains on subway lines. To prevent collapse, the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that for asymptomatic patients, the isolation time should be reduced from ten to five days.
The authorities are trying to react quickly. Insurance companies pay each for eight PCR tests a month as part of President Joseph Biden’s campaign to make home diagnostics available. But so far these measures are not enough.
Almost 62 percent of Americans are fully vaccinated – far fewer than in Western Europe. At the same time, the authorities are calling for an urgent third vaccination in order to protect themselves from the “omicron”.
No dog discos
The situation in India is also not easy. There are over 160 thousand cases of the disease every day. “Omicron” was taken up by almost the entire Indian parliament. All arrivals are required to comply with a weekly quarantine. Previously, this only concerned travelers from countries included in the red zone. The measures are quite strict: tourists must pass the PCR test three times – 72 hours before boarding the plane, upon arrival in the country and on the eighth day of quarantine. If the result is positive, then again isolation or hospitalization.
The screws began to tighten after the Italian “coronavirus flight” flew to India: immediately after landing, passengers passed the test, and it turned out that almost 70 percent were infected with covid.
Goa has imposed a curfew from 23:00 to 06:00. In other states, it is tougher: you can only go out on the streets for medicine and food. “Because of the new lockdown, my husband and I are forced to close our shop. The work has stopped. It’s hard to imagine what will happen in a few weeks,” says Maria, who moved to New Delhi five years ago.
It also reaches the point of absurdity. Police in the city of Krishnanagar (West Bengal) broke into the dog’s birthday party and arrested the owners, who spent 700 thousand rupees (709 thousand rubles) on the celebration. The Patel brothers hired an event organizer, singer, dancers, ordered a sumptuous cake and invited guests. They broadcast the celebration almost online – in social networks. Law enforcement officers covered the party in full swing. The owners were punished for not wearing masks, failing to maintain social distance, and holding the celebration without permission.
“Mix in the shit” of the unvaccinated
The situation is escalating in France, where several hundred infections are recorded every day. Parliament is debating the introduction of covid passports. Some MPs have complained that they are threatened with death if they vote in favor.
“Now, in order to get into a public building or use public transport, they require either special passes that are issued to those vaccinated, or a fresh negative PCR test,” says Milana, a resident of Paris.
But the authorities apparently consider these measures insufficient. President Emmanuel Macron speaks out very sharply against the unvaccinated: “They are not worthy of being considered citizens. I am not here to interfere with the French shit, but I really really want to mix anti-Axers with shit.”
However, this did not affect his rating. Three months before the elections, opinion polls predict a landslide victory over competitors.
The coronavirus does not spare other politicians – in the literal sense. Polish President Andrzej Duda and Pakistani leader Arif Alvi are sick for the second time. The Swedish Crown Princess Victoria, who was vaccinated and revaccinated, also became infected. The kingdom has introduced new antiquated restrictions: it was obliged to wear masks even on the street, but the number of infected people is still growing. At home quarantine – Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer.
The situation is getting worse in Russia as well. In 35 regions, the incidence rate exceeds the national average. The head of Rospotrebnadzor, Anna Popova, warned that the number of infections could exceed 100 thousand per day. And this is not the most pessimistic scenario yet.