János Szlávik, an infectologist at the South-Pest Central Hospital, said that in spite of the fast pace of vaccinations in Hungary, maximum effort should be made to prevent a potential fourth wave.
According to MTI, Szlávik warned that the British variant was spreading fast among younger people, and he called on the public to adhere to mask-wearing and social distancing rules. When it comes to easing restrictions, the vaccinations rate and the drop in the number of new infections must be considered together, he said.
The infectologist said the number of Covid-related deaths is still stubbornly high, adding that he was optimistic, however, that the number of new infections and fatalities would decline in the coming weeks and months. The rate of decrease should determine the regime for easing restrictions, he added.
Finally, Szlávik called on all Hungarians to get vaccinated, adding that Hungary would reach herd immunity once 80-90 percent of people are fully inoculated. He said a real possibility of infection hotspots could emerge. “It’s possible that coronavirus will stay with us for months or even years,” Szlávik said.