Coronavirus in Romania: 143 new cases in 24 hours, total reaches 576, five deaths, big problems at hospital in NE Romania

The number of confirmed Covid-19 infection cases in Romania has increased by about a third in the last 24 hours, according to new data released by the Strategic Communication Group.

The 143 new cases recorded since the previous update have brought the total number of cases confirmed in Romania to 576. Of the 576 cases recorded in Romania so far, 73 patients have been declared recovered and released from the hospital (of whom 51 in Timisoara). Meanwhile, 15 patients were being treated in intensive care units (ATI) and seven were in serious condition. The state of the other patients was good and stable, according to the Strategic Communication Group.

Two more people have lost their lives due to the new coronavirus in the last 24 hours, taking the total death toll to four. The four victims were all over 60 and had preexisting medical conditions.

The fourth victim, a 72-year-old woman from Suceava, had diabetes and other cardiovascular diseases. She hadn’t traveled recently and she couldn’t be connected to any confirmed Covid-19 case, which makes her the first victim of intra-community transmission.

Update: The fifth Covid-19 victim was reported on Monday, March 23, at 14:00. This is a 71-year-old man who was admitted to the cardiology section of the Suceava County Hospital on March 21. There, he possibly came into contact with another Covid-19 patient, a 65-year old woman who was transferred to Iasi on Saturday after suffering a heart attack, according to Hotnews.ro.

27 doctors and nurses infected with Covid-19 at large hospital in NE Romania

Eighteen doctors and nine nurses at the Suceava County Hospital, in northeastern Romania, have been confirmed as infected with the new coronavirus (Covid-19) and have been admitted in the hospital’s infectious diseases section.

Thus, 6% of the hospital’s doctors and 2% of the nurses are infected, according to the unit’s management. Test results are being expected for other doctors and nurses at the same hospital.

The hospital’s management said in a press release that it has made all efforts to prepare for the new coronavirus epidemic, but that it has encountered problems in acquiring all the necessary protection equipment and materials. The available equipment has been distributed to the hospital’s Infectious Diseases section.

However, the hospital’s representatives suggest that the infection cases have been determined by patients who haven’t declared their travel history and contacts with people who had returned from risk areas, who have been treated in other sections of the hospital before they were diagnosed with the new coronavirus.

"Unfortunately, we have encountered both undeclared cases regarding travel history or contacts with people from risk areas, as well as a global crisis regarding protection equipment, a situation that is not specific to the Suceava County Hospital, but to all the hospitals in the world at this time. It was not negligence on our part, we have done everything we could and purchased all the protection materials we found on the market. Some of the suppliers haven’t responded, others terminated the contracts because they had also lost their suppliers. We have been constantly looking for solutions, under limited resources. It is a global war with the new coronavirus and, in this fight, the effort must be joint. Neither the citizen nor the hospital can fight alone. We will only succeed together," reads the statement of the Suceava County Hospital.

Update: About 40 new cases of Covid-19 infection were reportedly confirmed by tests at the Suceava County Hospital on Monday, most of whom are medical personnel. The hospital could be temporarily closed for disinfection and, when it will be reopened, it will only treat Covid-19 cases, according to a Health Ministry official quoted by Libertatea.

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