Published: Just now
Unlike previous summers, the spread of corona has been extensive this year.
Johan Bratt, chief physician in Region Stockholm, worries that the spread of infection may increase further when most people have returned to everyday life.
– If we get sick now, we will stay at home. There is a big risk that it is covid-19 then.
The corona variant omikron has mutated several times and, according to chief physician Johan Bratt, copes with heat and sun better than previous variants of covid-19.
It can be seen in the number of infections, which this summer has been far higher than previous summers.
According to him, you probably have corona if you get sick now.
– You might take a bit of a chance and go to work anyway, especially now when you want to start again after the holidays, but if you are sick, you should stay at home, says Johan Bratt.
In line with the high infection rates, there are also more people who have become seriously ill compared to previous years.
– We have approximately 260 who are in hospital now in the region. It was between 50-70 this time last summer.
“Twice as much sickness absence”
Due to this year’s high numbers, hospitals have had to focus on covid-19 patients and have had to prioritize away those with less life-threatening ailments:
– We have been able to focus the spring on emergency care and postpone planned operations.
The plan is to operate on them in the autumn instead.
– But the greater the load we get from covid-19 patients, the less chance we have to clear the queues quickly.
The summer has generally been difficult for healthcare as there has also been twice as much sickness absence among the staff.
– The most important thing now is that you stay at home if you are sick and get vaccinated with the vaccines you are offered, says Johan Bratt.
He neither wants nor can answer whether new restrictions can be introduced during the autumn and winter.
– It is not possible to speculate on that. There is a risk of a certain increased spread of infection, but I think we may not be acting in the same situation as when it was at its worst, says Johan Bratt.