Covid-19: Decreased use of masks may lead to a new peak in Turkey, doctors warn

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It has been about one and a half months since Minister of Health Fahrettin Koca announced the lift of some coronavirus measures, saying the disease had weakened.

Prof. Osman Küçükosmanoğlu, the secretary-general of the İstanbul Medical Chamber, and Dr. Ümit Yaşar Öztoprak, a board member of the Ankara Medical Association, evaluated this period in terms of the use of face masks, vaccination and test numbers.

For one and a half months, masks are not mandated indoors if physical distance can be maintained. Also, the contact tracing code requirement has been lifted.

After the minister's statement, the use of masks has decreased, especially in public transport. Doctors say the number of vaccinations and tests have also decreased.

CLICK - Turkey lifts outdoor mask mandate, contact tracing code requirement

The elderly and the unvaccinated

"A new attack occurs after each time there is a relaxation," said Prof. Küçükosmanoğlu.

"There is a serious decrease in hospital admissions. Of course, the natural course of the disease is also effective in this. The number of patients, which has been high for a long time, has been in a significant decline since the last month.

"As well as this may be an attribute of the variant, we also see that the disease is milder because of the immunity provided by vaccines and natural infections.

"However, we see hospitalizations and deaths among the elderly and those who have not received a booster dose, whom we may call the vulnerable population."

"A new variant may lead to a new peak"

"Based on this, we think that it is right to continue wearing masks indoors and in crowded places. And, of course, there is a state of complacency. People get tested less frequently even if they have symptoms and pay less attention.

"We can't predict exactly, but we may experience a new peak with a new variant. For this reason, we think the measures should not be abandoned."

Asymptomatic patients

"Right now, it is possible to say that there is a decrease in applications and admissions to hospitals. Even if we leave aside the ministry data, we can say, as an observation, that the number of severe patients have decreased.

"The number of applications has decreased; but at the same time, it has become harder to monitor the number of Covid patients. The number of tests has also decreased.

"Those with symptoms ... apply to hospitals, anyway. But patients with mild symptoms and no symptoms are around us."

"A new attack"

"However, the ministry meaninglessly easing the rules is a reason for the decreased numbers. When the bans and rules are lifted, it is left to people's own discretion. This is not a situation that fits well with pandemic management. But it's been like this for quite some time.

"People want to relax, but after each time they relax, a new attack occurs."

Two approaches

Dr. Öztoprak said the number of vaccinations in family healthcare centers has decreased.

"No one can see the future," he said, adding that there are two main points of views about the expectations that the pandemic will be over with Omicron or another "mild mutation": one that it is risky and one that it is better.

"But in both cases, wearing a mask indoors significantly reduces the spread [of the virus]," he said, adding that masks and vaccines are still important.

"I work at a Family Healthcare Center. Unfortunately, vaccination has decreased a lot, especially after the HES [contact tracing] code requirement was lifted. The HES code was an important tracking system of whether you were vaccinated or not. Few people get vaccinated anymore. Few come to get vaccinated.

"... Wearing a mask is important. It is important to ensure this. You have to believe in the importance of masks... On the other hand, the numbers have dropped because the number of people who go to the test has decreased. Recorded numbers have decreased.

"There is nothing as a treatment anymore. There was a supply of medicine over the age of 65, and that is over now. At the moment, only vaccination continues." (AÖ/VK)