Currently, there are 180 critical and 897 severe coronavirus cases: Arsen Torosyan

Currently, there are 180 critical and 897 severe cases of coronavirus, totaling about 1100 critical and severe cases, of which 73 are currently on artificial respiration devices. This was stated by the Minister of Health, Arsen Torosyan, during a conversation with reporters in the National Assembly.

He noted that there is no shortage of oxygen devices, saying, “Our issue is not a shortage of devices, but rather the oxygen itself. There is a global deficit; oxygen is produced and consumed, and it is impossible to import it for long periods, and our country's oxygen capacities are working on the cases registered at the border. We are making vigorous efforts to ensure that there are no interruptions.”

Torosyan added that although they were expecting an increase in coronavirus infections, they did not anticipate a fourfold or fivefold increase. “We have purchased 4 large oxygen plants, as well as about 500 oxygen concentrators and will try to reach the demand as quickly as possible,” he noted.

Regarding the reduction of deaths registered at home, Arsen Torosyan mentioned that they have done the maximum possible and that it is impossible to exceed that, especially concerning bed availability. “We cannot have more than this in terms of beds, and this is not just about regular beds; primarily, it pertains to medical personnel, followed by oxygen. Thus, the only way to reduce home deaths and overall mortality is to have fewer cases,” Torosyan stated.

In response to a question about whether there have been cases of re-infection, Torosyan said that such cases have been recorded in the Armenian healthcare system: “At least in our system, the number of double positives has been 343; we have had 343 cases of re-infection out of 107,000, which has been verified as double.”