Moscow is taking increased measures to contain the rapid onset of the strain “omicron”. The main burden fell on polyclinics, where the staff of doctors on duty was increased. Patients with symptoms of SARS are accepted without an appointment. For the elderly, the home regime has been extended until April 1, and those who work should, if possible, go remote. The control over compliance with the mask regime has also become tougher.
16,000 – so many people fell ill in Moscow on just one Saturday. This number was not in the first wave, nor in any of the others. Their capital has been welcoming them first in the country for two years now and has learned to respond effectively. How exactly – Sergei Sobyanin tells the president personally about this.
– Sergey Semenovich, we are in constant contact and by phone, and we meet in person at all meetings, we work directly. I would like to talk about the situation in the capital as a whole. How do you rate it? What are your next tasks? asked the President of Russia Vladimir Putin.
– Vladimir Vladimirovich, you know, there were many pessimistic forecasts that pandemic, the economy will not cope with these challenges, there will be serious problems in the socio-economic sphere, and so on. The preliminary results of the year show that the economy is coping with these challenges, has adapted to the difficult conditions in which we operate, – said the mayor of Moscow Sergei Sobyanin.
This week, the authorities again asked companies to send the maximum number of their employees to remote work. A mandatory requirement is that at least 30 percent of employees must work remotely until at least April 1. This is in Moscow. Moreover, there are no particular difficulties in this format, everything has been worked out for a long time: the road to work is 30 seconds, the meeting is right over the morning coffee.
Ekaterina is a designer. I’ve been working remotely for a year now. The creative atmosphere in the office is a little lacking, but at home it is easier to concentrate.
“We are used to the fact that we are healthy and cheerful, merrily jumping somewhere. But there are people who are at risk every day. And any person who enters their office can infect them,” says Ekaterina Kozlovskaya.
In the suburbs, they are also now working from home. The requirements are similar, but are valid until February 25.
Everything is done to reduce the burden on doctors. Now it is huge, especially for those who work in clinics. The Omicron strain, although it spreads 4 times faster, flows much more easily.
“Almost half of our beds are empty today. Thank God! But, on the other hand, the primary link is under a very serious load. “Today we have 35,000 calls. In the first wave of the pandemic, two years ago, there were 22-25,000 house calls per day. Therefore, 35,000 is not the limit, and it is clear that all doctors are mobilized, but they will not be able to come to to everyone,” explains Andrey Vorobyov, Governor of the Moscow Region.
Anyone who does not have a very high temperature is asked not to call a doctor, but to come to the clinic on their own. In Moscow, for patients with symptoms of acute respiratory viral infections in each clinic, special areas with a separate entrance were allocated. Here they immediately take an express test, and then divide the streams depending on the result. The therapists are in protective suits. Analyzes, doctor’s appointments, getting medicines (they are given free of charge) – everything takes no more than 15 minutes.
– It is simply impossible to call a doctor at home. I’ve been trying for two days. I had a temperature of 39.5 yesterday. Today is 38 – I came here myself, because he is not called, they just hang up on 122.
It is indeed sometimes impossible to get through to the city service 122 due to the huge number of calls. But the staff of operators has already been increased and will continue to do so.
Control of all indicators remotely. In Moscow, hundreds of therapists are on call around the clock.
“Doctors during each consultation evaluate the patient’s condition and make decisions about further observation. If necessary, they hospitalize the patient,” says Mariam Pakhuridze, head of the telemedicine center of the DZM.
With a mild course of the disease, doctors recommend bed rest and drinking plenty of fluids.
“According to the experience of foreign colleagues, in this case, the coronavirus is somewhat easier. Approximately it looks like a symptomatology of a common SARS. That is why we recommend immediately starting symptomatic treatment, which can be used with the help of the means that are in every ordinary first-aid kit,” says Andrey Tyazhelnikov, head physician of the consultative and diagnostic clinic No. 121.
At the same time, doctors note: vaccinated people, faced with the “omicron”, can also get sick, but less often and, most likely, in the mildest form. Relevant now more than ever, and protective measures – social distance and masks. Compliance with anti-COVID measures is monitored in all public places. Checks are carried out in theaters, museums, and, of course, in buses and the subway.