Economy 17 March 2020, 9:08am

COVID-19 enters new phase in Hungary

Portfolio

Hungary’s Chief Medical Officer Cecília Müller announced that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic reached a new level in the country and we are now in the period of mass infections. It is no longer possible to trace who infected who. That is why the government implemented serious restrictive measures, including the closure of its borders, cinemas, theatres, entertainment facilities, etc. The Operational Corps gave an odd response to questions how come there is no territorial, sex and age breakdown for the spread of COVID-19, while a host of countries make such data available to the public.

COVID-19 snapshot

By Tuesday morning, the number of people (officially) infected with COVID-19 has jumped to 50 from 39 on Monday.

Yet, testing has not accelerated, quite the contrary. A total of 1,587 tests have been done by midnight on Monday, which corresponds to a drop of 200 over Sunday.

Two of the patients (both Iranians) have recovered and the coronavirus claimed the life of a 75-year-old man over the weekend.

WHO: test, test, test!

The World Health Organisation (WHO) called on all countries on Monday to ramp up their testing programmes as the best way to slow the advance of the coronavirus pandemic.

“All countries must take a comprehensive approach. But the most effective way to prevent infections and save lives is breaking the chains of transmission. And to do that you must test and isolate. You cannot fight a fire blindfolded. And we cannot stop this pandemic if we don’t know who is infected," WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference in Geneva.

Our key message is: test, test, test!

No breakdown of how the global pandemic is spreading in Hungary

Why is there no territorial breakdown of the spread of the coronavirus in Hungary, or a breakdown of the patients’ sex and age, a journalist asked the present members of the Operational Corps. No answer was given.

When they were asked how come Minister of Interior Sándor Pintér was tested for COVID-19, while medical staff known to have been in contact with a coronavirus patient were not, Müller replied that the test of the minister came back negative and he was tested because he was a contact person, i.e. met with someone who was infected.

When asked again about the lack of any breakdown of the spread of COVID-19 in Hungary, Müller replied:

"We continue to respect patients’ personal data. It would not be right if data facilitated tracking down patients, and not just in case of the coronavirus. The patients are questioned by epidemiology authorities, the police and competent persons. Let’s respect that. You or anyone else would not like if someone shed light on your medical condition.”

Note that a host of countries publish detailed data about the patients: in which region of the country they reside, whether they have recently been abroad, their sex and age. No other specifics are revealed that would enable anyone to track down the patients. Such transparent countries include Romania, Poland, Slovakia, various EU and developed countries. Unfortunately, Hungary stands out from this bunch.

In fact, all EU countries provide at least a county level breakdown of the spread of the virus, and even Albania (!) does that.

New container hospital to be built in Kiskunhalas

When asked why the cabinet chose this city as the location of a new mobile container hospital designated to treat COVID-19 patients (with a 150-strong capacity), Tibor Lakatos, head of the operative board at the Operational Corps, replied that it is relatively close to the capital city where most patients are registered, and the infrastructural backbone is also given there. The site is a former army barracks where a guarded accommodation facility was operated for refugees and the utilities are already available. The mobile container hospital is expected to be up and running in one month. Costs have not yet been revealed but the procurement of the containers has already begun.

How many health care workers have been quarantined?

If they wear their protective gear they are protected, said Müller. There are several medical staff in quarantine for they have been found to be close contacts [of COVID-19 patients] by the contact-tracing. The first lab results were negative in their case, she added. In some places the number of quarantined medical personnel is in the order of ten.

Doctor’s questions remain unanswered

Independent MPs Bernadett Szél and Ákos Hadházy sent questions by a doctor to the Operational Corps. The doctor wanted to know

How much does the oxygen therapy used for the treatment of the coronavirus infection increase oxygen consumption nationwide?
Is there an adequate volume of oxygen in reserves to meet the increased demand in case of an emergency?
Due to the constant risk of contagion what kind of protocol has been put in effect in terms of doctors’ schedules and in terms of dangerous tasks required to be carried out in the current state of emergency?

The response that was received early on Monday was that

According to the Operational Corps, all necessary and sufficient means are available.

Airport to grant entry only to Hungarian citizens as of today

As of Tuesday (17 March), only Hungarian citizens may enter Hungary via the Liszt Ferenc International Airport, operator Budapest Airport announced today. It stressed that this is not a closure, flights will continue to take off and land, in accordance with this restriction.

Those denied entry will have to wait in a designated transit zone. They will be provided blankets, food, mineral water and face masks if required.

In the case of families, foreign citizens (child, parent, grandparent, spouse) may also enter if at least one their relative is a Hungarian citizen.