Tetovo, 4 August 2021 (MIA) – There has been a drastic increase in hospitalizations in Tetovo, where three capacities have been used for hospitalized patients. There are 26 hospitalized patients in the infectious disease and internal medicine wards, as well as the modular hospital. Tetovo, alongside Skopje, has the highest number of new infections. “We don’t know if this is the fourth wave, but all signs point to it because we had 64 patients in the ER, and this hasn’t happened since the fall wave. We expect new hospitalizations. The situation is alarming, especially in comparison to this time last year when things were slightly better. If you ask me about the new infections, it’s due to the increased testing, some people are traveling, some are coming back – this is one factor. The increase of hospitalizations is due to violating measures. People seem to have forgotten about the pandemic, they’re not wearing masks, not maintaining distance, they gather in large groups etc. Weddings and gatherings have also contributed to the increased amount of people in hospitals,” says dr. Gzim Nuredeni, coordinator at the Covid center. The modular hospital is operational due to the increase in patients who require hospital treatment. The condition is deemed alarming. “The modular hospital has four patients and it’s functioning normally. We’re managing things according to the directions given by the virologists from the Covid center, who judge which patients are the most urgent cases, with heart issues or anything else. There are patients in the infectious disease and the internal medicine wards, things are quite alarming. People have loosened up, and the patients are, unfortunately, senior citizens that don’t go out. Young people don’t care, but the elderly suffer. Everyone should get vaccinated as soon as possible, because it’s helpful and it will make everyone’s clinical picture easier,” Nuredini says. Only one person out of the 26 hospitalized patients is not on oxygen. “Four of them received only one dose of the vaccine, one of them has received two doses and he is relatively well. He is around 67. We have a 31-year-old, a 37-year-old and everyone else is over 65. All the patients are overweight and suffer from comorbidities, such as heart issues, kidney issues, and chronic respiratory diseases,” Nuredini says. Expats coming home from from Germany and Italy are among the hospitalized, and there are clusters as well as isolated cases. dk/ba/