COVID-19 cases to soar in coming weeks, says expert
TRABZON - Demirören News Agency
The number of COVID-19 cases, which shot up suddenly on a larger scale following the Eid holidays, is expected to rise gradually in the coming weeks, says Tevfik Özlü, a professor from Karadeniz Technical and a member of the Coronavirus Science Board.
“After the [Eid] holiday, which has created a very suitable environment for the virus to spread, people started to get infected as a family,” Özlü said, adding that an increase in the number of cases is expected with the arrival of the autumn season.
Similar to influenza or other respiratory tract infections, coronavirus infections are expected to peak in October and continue until March next year, according to Özlü.
“We need to be careful; the pandemic is not over. Although it is not as strong as before, the virus is still among us,” Özlü said.
The expert also urged people in the risk group to get booster shots if six months have passed since their last vaccination.
“There are no longer bans, closures, or face mask mandates. Risk groups need to protect themselves,” Özlü added, recommending them to ventilate the environment in crowded places.
“BA.5 is the most common sub-variant in the world,” said Faruk Aydın, a professor from Karadeniz Technical University, adding that other sub-variants cannot be transmitted that quickly.
As the new sub-variant binds to receptors in the lungs, it may cause lung problems, according to Aydın.
“We should be much more careful as we are dealing with a variant that transmits faster. We must protect ourselves with a face mask no matter what environment we are in,” the expert added.
