Do you remember what Dániel Gyurta said after his fantastic victory in the 200-meter breaststroke at the London Olympics? "When everything hurt, when I could barely stand the last meters, I thought of my mother, and she took me to the finish line."
Something similar can come over us today. You just have to hold on a little longer, the end of the tunnel is in sight. One last effort and we will win.
Why am I saying this when the third wave is roaring and producing amazing numbers of cases?
Because, if no new fatal mutation occurs, we will defeat the COVID epidemic with the help of vaccines. This is a mathematical certainty. If as many of us as possible vaccinate ourselves as quickly as possible. For now, this is limited by the number of vaccinations. However, we are already in first place in Europe in terms of the percentage of vaccinations. On this occasion, we would also like to thank all foreign ministers, economic specialists, pilots, and logisticians who helped us to have so many types and such a large number of vaccines available. Because if we had waited for official procurement, we wouldn't be half as well off now.
However, another factor is also needed to achieve vaccination. In the coming months, such a quantity of vaccines may arrive in our country that everyone will get it. Therefore, the goal can be to vaccinate the entire adult population! What does it take? Anyone who lives and moves should register. The skeptics spreading anti-vaccination misconceptions should be silent and everyone, regardless of party affiliation, should campaign for vaccination. Or at least stop the thinly veiled anti-vaccination sentiment.
We will handle it. Healthcare workers demonstrate an amazing work ethic. All hospitals also provide COVID care, and most of them also perform the tasks required in times of peace. If one of the hospitals is unable to provide regional care, the other institutions will take over the patients. Our doctors and nurses spend 4-5 hours a day continuously in the red zones in protective equipment and gas masks. Thanks to the country's efforts, all protective equipment is available in abundance. But anyone can try to spend even an hour in such a place dressed from head to toe. Movement becomes difficult, sweat soaks the clothes, the protective shield often fogs up, breathing is difficult, but everyone does their work without socks.
We will handle it. And while we have been doing double work for essentially a year, we organize vaccination teams on the weekends, and we go to vaccinate from six in the morning until late in the afternoon. We are prepared for the period during Easter, because extra vaccine may come to the hospital and we will immediately set up a vaccination point. That way, we don't leave Budapest... But it's not such a big deal, we also reduce the possibility of contacts.
Of course, we are tired, and we wish it to end as soon as possible. That is why we ask you to help us with our work. Be careful outside, because the British mutant infects there too. Wear a mask in any place where there is a possible infection. And don't be afraid of vaccinations. All of them are suitable, and based on the 100 million doses administered so far, there are no significant side effects.
We'll hold out a little longer and then we'll have a free summer. This will be our victory.
dr.
György Temesszentandrasi, head of internist department, chief physician,
head of the COVID department
Cover photo: MTI/Zoltán Balogh
