Syria witnesses biggest surges of COVID-19: MSF
HASAKH, Syria (North Press) – Northern Syria is experiencing its most severe recorded wave of COVID-19 yet, with needs fast outpacing limited oxygen supplies and health facilities running out of testing kits, the international medical humanitarian organization, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said on Wednesday.
In the northwest the health system is already unable to cope, while in the northeast the virus is spreading at a worrying pace, the MSF added.
It pointed out that in the last week of September, an average of 342 people in northeastern Syria tested positive each day: the highest daily number since the pandemic began.
The organization stated that the only laboratory able to perform PCR tests to diagnose COVID-19 in the region is running short on materials and faces the possibility of halting all testing in the coming weeks if numbers do not continue to decline.
“The supply of oxygen is also under serious strain, with the COVID-19 treatment facility in Hasakah forced to source oxygen cylinders from Qamishli, Raqqa and Tabqa cities in order to meet demand.”
“We are worried that if the number of positive cases increase again, or stays steady at such high rates, we will be unable to meet the demands for all patients.” said Hanna Majanen, MSF emergency medical manager for Syria.
Regarding the infections in the Turkish-backed opposition-held areas in northwest Syria, the MSF Head of Mission for Syria, Francisco Otero y Villar said that the peak reached in this wave so far has been as high as 1,500 cases per day, “while it never exceeded 600 cases per day during previous waves.”