‘Virus has started spreading uncontrollably in Turkey,’ says Science Board member

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Ministry of Health's Coronavirus Science Board member Prof. Alpay Azap has indicated that the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has been spreading uncontrollably in Turkey over the past weeks.

CLICK - 'Turkey is losing control of the pandemic'

Speaking on a news program at Habertürk TV, Prof. Azap has noted that the number of cases has started increasing again.

"Though the number of cases was not below 1,000 much, we still ended the period when the virus was spreading uncontrollably," he has said and added:

"Now, we see that it has started spreading uncontrollably. It is all the same: You can call it the second peak of the first wave or the second wave... But there is a fact and this fact is the increasing number of cases."

'We are greatly concerned'

An expert of infectious diseases and microbiology from İbni Sina Hospital of the Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Prof. Alpay Azap has said the following about the capital city of Ankara:

"We have been really busy for 3-4 weeks. There is a gradual increase in the number of people applying to us and the number of cases though the number of cases is not increasing that rapidly.

"We can handle it for now. Our beds in intensive care units are not entirely full. But the occupancy rate is increasing week by week. We still have vacancies, but, frankly speaking, we are concerned about this increase.

"To be honest, we are greatly concerned that the number of cases will increase as fast as it was in the first wave."

CLICK - Citizens aged 65 and over restricted from going out in Ankara

Reminding that Ankara is one of the provinces which has recently seen the highest increase in the number of cases, Azap has also answered a question regarding the age groups that apply to hospitals:

'We have seriously ill patients in their 40s and 50s'

"In fact, these are the questions that we are curious about their answers. You need to know the answers to these questions well so that you can manage the outbreak well. The provincial pandemic board must be - probably - following it very closely. I know only the numbers of our center.

"We encounter patients in every age group. As expected, we see cases where younger people have the disease more mildly. When we look at the inpatients, we can say that their ages are higher.

"The age when patients are in a more serious condition is higher in Turkey than the world. For instance, while the disease is more severe among the ones aged 65 and over in other countries, this age is lower in us. Because we are more likely to suffer from chronic diseases at earlier ages. That is why, we have seriously ill patients in their 40s and 50s." (AÖ/SD)