May 3, 2020 — The Director of the Zagreb ''Dr. Fran Mihaljevic'' Infectious Diseases Clinic, Alemka Markotic, hopes for the quick unraveling of the coronavirus crisis.
She said in an interview with Nova TV the current rate of new infections and recoveries could give lower Croatia's number of coronavirus patients to double digits within two weeks.
"If we continued at such a good pace, that it would not increase or be without the new ones, that 40-45 people would be cured every day, like today, then in some 10 to 15 days, we might even drop below 100," she said. "I hope so, but we'll see. It is difficult to predict, especially with more severe forms of the disease."
Comparing COVID-19 with the Spanish flu, which has killed many more people, Markotic says the similarities between the two are a sudden occurrence and spread across the globe and that a large number of people are infected.
"It was a rapidly expanding respiratory illness and there was no cure," she said. "What has been a problem, and what we are holding onto today, is that with the flu, it is very common to have pneumonia and a bacterium called streptococcal pneumonia that is responsible for so many deaths. The first antibiotic was discovered only in 1928, 10 years later. We have numerous antibiotics, capabilities and high technology today."
She added the Spanish flu was the result of the dreaded famine that followed World War I. "This virus started today from more developed countries without war."
Asked what problems experts face in treating coronavirus-induced disease, Markotic said that the problem so far was that no medicine intended to treat COVID-19 infection was present. "Now it is finally approved under an expedited procedure, but still for Remdesivir clinical studies, which concluded that it may be more useful but that its implementation should be closely monitored."
When it comes to the possible occurrence of the second wave of the epidemic, Markotic says that it can happen if people do not adhere to epidemiological measures. Markotic said the measures could be reintroduced in that case but would consider introducing measures in those areas where the infection has re-emerged.
