Over the past three months, there has been a dramatic increase in cases of COVID-19 in Ukraine. In August 2024, more than 25,000 new cases were recorded in the country, which is almost 13 times more than in June, when there were only 2,300 cases of the disease. This was announced by the Deputy Minister of Health of Ukraine, Maria Karchevych, on the air of the telethon.
Karchevych emphasized that the data indicate a significant increase in morbidity caused by the new subvariant of the Omicron - Flirt coronavirus. This strain appeared to be more infectious and has the ability to partially evade the immune response. However, vaccines continue to be effective against this variant of the virus.
In the conditions of increasing morbidity, the Ministry of Health provides certain recommendations regarding treatment and sick leaves. According to Karchevych, the legislation introduced during the pandemic allows you to receive sick leave remotely. This reduces the number of physical contacts and makes it possible to consult a doctor and receive a certificate of incapacity for work without the need to visit a medical institution. However, if the symptoms of the disease persist for more than 5 days, it is recommended to physically consult a doctor for proper treatment.
Despite the significant increase in the number of diseases, the Ministry of Health does not plan to introduce new restrictions. According to representatives of the ministry, the total number of patients remains relatively small, which allows avoiding the introduction of strict restrictive measures.
It is important to note that the new subvariant Omicron – Flirt, although it showed increased transmission, did not lead to a significant increase in severe disease. This suggests that existing vaccines will continue to effectively protect against severe consequences of the coronavirus.
