There is concern that the drop in the Covid-19 infection rate could come to a halt after November 15 - Dumpis

RIGA - There is concern that after November 15, when the current lockdown is lifted, the drop in the Covid-19 infection rate that is being observed at the moment could come to a halt, Uga Dumpis, an infectious disease specialist at Pauls Stradins Clinical University Hospital and University of Latvia professor, said in an interview with LETA.

Therefore, according to the infectologist, it is especially important how much the incidence will decrease this weekend and early next week. "The lower the incidence, the greater the chances of experiencing a longer period without high incidence," explains Dumpis.

According to the expert, a lot also depends on how fast the pace of vaccination will slow down, because for safety reasons, another 10 percent increase in vaccination coverage would be desirable - preferably by seniors.

At the same time, it cannot be ruled out that more pronounced regional differences may appear in the epidemiological situation.

However, Dumpis is most concerned about the situation in hospitals, where there are still a lot of people with Covid-19. "The number of patients is not expected to decline as fast and poses a serious threat to general public health due to restrictions on outpatient and scheduled medical care," the infectologist notes.