Coronavirus situation worsens: further restrictions to be expected?

disinfection coronavirus-education-hungary-school

Gyõr, Hungary. Photo: MTI

The spread of the virus seems to be accelerating continuously in Hungary. In spring, the number of infections remained much lower, but the government closed almost everything to stop the epidemic. Now, it seems that they wait because young people get infected whose symptoms are much less dangerous, and they do not want an economic breakdown. But how long it is worth to protect the slowly increasing economic growth instead of implementing stricter measures?

According to infostart.hu, Béla Merkely, the rector of the Semmelweis University, said in a Monday interview that six different vaccines look very promising and he thinks that by the

end of this fall at least one of them will get a green light even in Hungary.

He added that probably the endangered and the older people would get it first, but he highlighted the importance of the vaccination of the teachers and the workers of the social sector, too.

He said that the vaccine would not be brand new because experts utilise already known technologies to make it while using a different genetic material. The only exception is the American one which does not infect but helps the immune system to produce antibodies. He said that provided experts would be successful with the latter

it would be much easier to create a vaccine against a new virus in the future.

Professor Merkely said in an interview in ATV before that there can be 100 thousand infected in Hungary. Therefore, he would make it compulsory to wear face masks to reduce the reproduction rate. He added that the numbers might blow in 2-3 weeks.

According to hvg.hu, Merkely said that, to stop the spread of the virus, he would

ban night parties,
make it compulsory to wear a mask in closed spaces,
reintroduce the shopping time slot reserved for the elderly.

Hvg.hu says, however, that government politicians cleared the ideas mentioned above are the private opinion of Dr Merkely. One of the sources said that the already introduced measures should only be modified if the better result is proved and if people support them. Another government politician said that there is no reason to act quickly; they have to follow what the neighbouring countries do and decide based on them. The most important thing is not to allow the virus to get into Hungary.

Meanwhile, the world-known Hungarian physicist, László Barabási-Albert, said in a Facebook post that one among 100 Hungarians is infected. He added that when he came home in July

it was good to see the “Hungarian Wonder”

and to talk about the daily number of 10-20 COVID infected with his astonished American friends. However, that disappeared in August so he said that everybody should wear a mask. Otherwise, everything has to close again like during spring.

A Hungarian emergency doctor said in a Facebook post that it is only a matter of time that older people get infected. “In Florida that took 5 weeks after the outbreak of the epidemic” – he added. He asked everybody to be much more tolerant, wash their hands and avoid direct contact. He also highlighted that