Director of the World Health Organization /WHO/ in BiH Victor Olshavsky said today that measures BiH and Republika Srpska undertook in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak were efficient and that there were not a huge number of infected who could jeopardize the health system.
Olshavsky has said that he and Republika Srpska Minister of Health and Social Welfare Alen Šeranić discussed possible scenarios regarding the coronavirus outbreak.
“The WHO is currently foreseeing three scenarios – a complete halt of person-to-person virus transfer, waves that repeat themselves and in the end continuous transmission of low intensity. We think the second scenario is the most likely one,” Olshavsky told reporters in Banjaluka.
He has said that the world has come to understand the importance of vaccination and that it expects a vaccine against the coronavirus.
When it comes to the treatment and testing of persons infected with the coronavirus, Olshavsky has said that the WHO has not yet verified serological tests.
“The WHO is collecting data to determine which one would be the best, that is, which one would give the least falsely negative results. As far as vaccines and treatment are concerned, a huge international experiment, followed and monitored by the WHO, is in progress. Four candidates for therapy are being monitored, and the WHO is in the role of a coordinator. We are seeking for two to three candidates from among 60-70 candidates. It usually takes several years to develop a vaccine and we hope that we will manage this time to do it much quicker, that is, in a year,” he said.
Regarding the cooperation with the Republika Srpska Ministry of Health and the Institute of Public Health, Olshavsky has said that it is unfolding in two ways, adding that the WHO is learning from its member states from that which they are doing.
He has mentioned a project of cooperation between the famous American Mayo Clinic and its collaborative network and the Republika Srpska University Clinical Center, that is, the Intensive Care Unit and professor Peđa Kovačević.
He has said that WHO representatives brought to Banjaluka 5,000 testing kits – one half is a donation from the WHO and the other half if a donation from the WHO, the American Agency for International Development and the Mayo Clinic.
“We will continue talks to see how to additionally support the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of Srpska and the Institute of Public Health in terms of further epidemiological monitoring, raising awareness, education of communities and to see future steps to gradually return to normal life,” Olshavsky said.
Source: srna
