COVID-19 in Mersin: ‘Worrying increase in deaths’

* News-photo: Mezopotamya Agency

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Mersin Medical Chamber made a statement about the latest situation in the city amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic yesterday (November 19). Addressing the reporters, Chamber Chair Mehmet Antmen has said that the number of daily positive cases is over 700 in Mersin.

Raising concerns that hospital services and intensive care units are working at full capacity across Mersin, Antmen has indicated that what the government aims at is "herd immunity", rather than protecting citizens.

"The outbreak has spread all across Turkey now, it has got out of control. We do not have sufficient information about the real number of cases and deaths because the Ministry of Health does not manage the process transparently," Antmen has said, adding that according to the estimations made by scientists based on their observations in the field and other sources, "we are now faced with more cases than April, when the disease saw its peak."

"The increase in the number of intubated patients and critically ill patients since the third week of October is worrying," Antmen has said: "The increase in the number of deaths is worrying as well."

Demands and recommendations

Mersin Medical Chamber Chair Antmen has also listed their demands and recommendations within this context.

Reiterating that all data concerning the pandemic in Turkey in general and in Mersin in particular must be shared with the public in a transparent and detailed manner, he has said that the Provincial Pandemic Board, which has not convened for quite some time, should convene urgently.

Emphasizing the urgency of taking the necessary measures based on epidemiological studies, he has stressed that social mobility must be effectively restricted as the first step to be taken against the spread of the virus. Antmen has also noted that work life must be immediately halted except for the sectors offering essential, mandatory and immediate services.

He has put a special emphasis on protecting the disadvantaged groups against this backdrop, calling on the authorities to introduce the necessary economic and social mechanisms to protect them.

Underlining that contact tracing must be done in the light of epidemiology and that other public sources (tools and personnel) must be effectively used in this struggle, Antmen has said that more tests must be carried out in more centers, positive cases must be diagnosed earlier, they must be efficiently isolated and the contacts must be quarantined.

Warning against spreading the virus in the same household, he has also reminded the authorities of the existence of non-COVID patients who have to postpone their treatment for months. Antmen has called on the authorities to specify "pandemic-free" hospitals so that these persons can apply to them for their other medical checks and treatment. (RT/SD)