The increase in the incidence of COVID-19 in European countries and the holiday season are the threats to a stable coronavirus situation in Ukraine, according to experts from the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE).
During the week, the incidence in Europe has increased by 44%. "An outbreak in Ukraine may already occur at the end of July—in August, depending on how much the British, South African and Indian strains of the virus will spread," Iurii Ganychenko, Head of the KSE Health Economics Center, said.
According to him, the outbreak in the UK has already reached the peak of the autumn wave, and Spain has caught up with the incidence rate in the Russian Federation and Portugal in a week.
Experts associate the increase in the incidence in Spain with the spread of coronavirus among young people who are poorly vaccinated.
"Vaccination remains effective. Despite the skyrocketing incidence in the UK, hospital admissions and mortality remain at a manageable level. This means that if there are those vaccinated among the sick people, then the vaccine protects against the severe course of the disease," Ganychenko notes.
The KSE believes that the situation in Ukraine is gradually improving compared to large European countries.
"Mortality continues to decrease. The occupancy of covid beds is at one of the lowest levels ever in Ukraine: resuscitation beds are occupied by 15%, beds with oxygen—by 9%, ventilators—by 3%," the expert explained.
Ganychenko stressed that Ukraine is still lagging behind the national vaccination plan, therefore, it is necessary to increase the rate of vaccination and its coverage. According to him, the vaccination rate is currently 5.4%.
"Ukraine has fallen short of the target for June by a factor of four. To fulfill the national plan, it is necessary to carry out 250,000 vaccinations per day, but currently an average of 71,000 vaccinations are being made," Ganychenko summed up.
Additionally. During the day on July 5, 541 people fell ill with COVID-19 in Ukraine, 20 people died.
In total, since the beginning of the pandemic in Ukraine, 2,238,364 cases of infection and 52,504 deaths have been recorded.
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