The tridemic reminded us of masks – Kommersant FM

The tridemic reminded us of masks – Kommersant FM

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In Russia, the incidence of seasonal respiratory infections is growing, and in some regions preventive measures are being returned. On December 20, the chief sanitary doctor of St. Petersburg, Natalia Bashketova, announced the introduction of a mask regime in the city against the backdrop of a difficult epidemiological situation. However, for now the requirements will only affect organizers of mass events. In addition, schoolchildren and students will now have their temperature measured, and additional disinfection of premises will be introduced in public institutions. Moscow does not officially announce such measures. But what do doctors and businesses think about this? Should sanitary standards be tightened in the capital? Grigory Kolganov will tell you.

According to the latest data from Rospotrebnadzor, over the past week the number of Russians suffering from influenza and ARVI increased by 6.5%. More than a million people consulted doctors. And, as the sanitary service notes, for the first time in three years, the rise in the incidence of seasonal viruses overlapped with another wave of coronavirus.

Doctors are even talking about the beginning of a tridemic – a triple epidemic. In Moscow, it’s especially difficult for medical workers; citizens have lost their vigilance, notes therapist and chief physician of the “Your Doctor” clinic Tatyana Romanenko: “The workload is heavy now. Last year, people still observed some quarantine measures, and, naturally, the incidence was lower. Now we are not afraid of anything, we walk everywhere, communicate and thereby contribute to the spread of all infections.”

Getting medical help in Moscow is now not easy: according to Telegram channels, the number of doctors calling at home has more than doubled. If usually about 11 thousand citizens left a request per day, now there are almost 25 thousand. And a few days ago, footage of queues of ambulances in front of infectious diseases hospitals circulated on social networks.

The city department of health is reassuring: the number of calls is typical for the epidemic season, and the increase in incidence has slowed down. Does this mean that additional measures are not needed? Immunologist Vladimir Bolibok believes that a mask regime in the capital will not be superfluous: “We are at the top of the plateau, that is, the incidence is now at the highest level.

I would introduce a mask regime for public places. Schools also need to be closed for quarantine, because there are cases when less than 50% of students attend classes.”

The Moscow authorities do not yet plan to introduce preventive measures. However, in St. Petersburg a week ago, the mask regime was also called unnecessary. The capital’s Rospotrebnadzor department asked Muscovites to be responsible and wear masks voluntarily in public transport and crowded places.

Shopping centers are just such a place, especially on the eve of the New Year holidays. But they are not thinking about introducing additional preventive measures, says Dmitry Moskalenko, president of the Russian Council of Shopping Centers: “So far there has been no need and no decision has been made at the level of regional heads.

In this case, it is not good to shift the initiative to the shopping center; people should take the situation into their own hands and reduce the possibility of an increase in the incidence rate.”

The pandemic has also affected business. Workers are taking sick leave en masse, annual reports are piling up, and plans are not being completed. Will mask mode be a solution to the problem? Nikolai Pryanishnikov, general director of the World Class fitness club chain, doubts this. He hopes that the New Year’s corporate party will better motivate employees to stay healthy: “So far we have few people getting sick both in clubs and in offices. I hope we get through the season. Everyone needs to be in good condition for the New Year’s table.”

The mask regime has already been introduced in Tula, Saratov, Perm, Pskov, Tyumen and Khanty-Mansiysk. But the measure applies only to doctors and visitors to medical institutions and in most cases is advisory in nature. And the Kremlin says that they are doing everything necessary for the safety of the president. But they don’t see any indications for a mask regime there yet.


Everything is clear with us – Telegram channel “Kommersant FM”.

Ulyana Gorelova

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