COVID-19 developments in Ukraine "threatening", peak expected in a month – Academician

Ukraine may see the peak of COVID-19 morbidity in about a month, says Dr Serhiy Komissarenko, an academician with the National Academy of Sciences.

Strengthening quarantine measures, even introducing total lockdown, should be done at the start of a higher pace of infection spread in order to prevent a collapse of the health care system, believes Komissarenko, who also chairs the Biosafety and Biological Protection Commission under the National Security and Defense Council, Obozrevatel reported.

"I believe that the situation is threatening. We must have a clear government stance on this matter. The introduction of stricter quarantine norms, even lockdown, should be done at the onset of higher morbidity rates, at the start of a higher pace of infection spread. The peak will, I believe, will come no earlier than in a month, maybe even later. But this peak could be either soaring or moderate. Now we are doing everything to ensure that the number of the infected remains as low as possible," the academician said, commenting on the feasibility of the introduction of harsher quarantine restrictions in certain regions of Ukraine.

Komisarenko considers the decision to introduce strict quarantine norms to be timely and rational, because new strains of COVID-19 are spreading rapidly, he says, unlike the "classic variant".

"We are witnessing the already new variants of the virus, which are more aggressive and contagious, spreading faster. In addition, there is evidence from clinicians that the course of the disease is more severe than before. Sooner or later there will be an increase in the number of new cases in all regions. Then there may be a heavy burden on the health care system," Komissarenko stressed.

The specialist says citizens must:

• Observe the mask mandate in indoor settings;
• Take care of personal hygiene (wash and sanitize their hands);
• Observe social distancing rules;
• Ventilate indoor premises and sanitize work surfaces; and
• Get the vaccine shot (whoever has access to vaccines).

"Vaccination is now the only effective way to prevent infection," added the scholar.

Coronavirus in Ukraine

Ukraine ranks fifth in Europe and ninth globally in terms of the pace of coronavirus spread. Over Saturday, 11,145 new cases were reported, as per Worldometers, while on Sunday it was 7,893 new cases, as per Health Minister Maksym Stepanov.