Only 'we' cannot break this pace, we can do it 'together' - Torosyan

Only 'we' cannot break this pace, we can do it 'together': This is what Armenia's Minister of Health Arsen Torosyan wrote on his Facebook page.

The post states:

“In the attached images are our curves and those of various countries, which show the rate of doubling of coronavirus infection cases. Countries have had different speeds ranging from 2 to 10 days during this period. We are currently under a 7-day pace, meaning our cases are doubling every 7 days. Japan is an example of such a pace.”

“Now, if we assume that this pace is maintained, by April 7 we will have about 1000 cases, by April 14 we will have 2000, and so on. Our common goal is to manage to slow this pace, so that at the beginning we have as many new cases as we have recovered patients, and then fewer new cases than recovered patients.”

“If the pace is preserved and does not become flat like in South Korea, we will have no choice but to treat mildly symptomatic or asymptomatic patients at home, as many countries do, simply having no other option. I do not think this is a scenario we desire, as the healthcare system, including its section dedicated to the coronavirus, will be able to bear such a burden. In fact, no country's healthcare system can bear such a burden.”

“In this context, it is crucial to stay home and strictly follow self-isolation guidelines, motivated by the risk of administrative responsibility. This is exactly why it is essential to document these violations and return people to their self-isolation places. This is not an end in itself but a tool directly affecting the rate of infectious disease spread.”

“What is being done today by Armenia's healthcare system is ten times more than what can be expected from a healthcare system in a country with 1.5% of GDP spent on healthcare for many years, and it is solely a result of the dedicated service of healthcare workers and our other agency staff. However, only 'we' cannot break this pace, we must do it 'together'.”