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The head of
Infectious Diseases at the Hospital de Sant Joan
in Alicante, Javier Jover, commands the fight against the impact of this third shipment of the virus with three clear things: that citizens and health workers are paying for Christmas, that mobility measures should have been more restrictive and that the current situation is worse than that of last spring and summer. The third wave of the coronavirus has severely punished the
Valencian Community
, whose hospital pressure, and ICU, if
It continues to grow as the month of January progresses.
In fact, hospitals have the highest occupancy in the country.
Health centers are increasingly stressed and resources are what they are. However, Jover speaks of an environment, he says, "of calm" among health workers because, he adds, "now we know what we are facing and at the health level what we face with more serenity and confidence. ”Despite this, he acknowledges that the current extremely delicate situation has overwhelmed them.
«The feeling is that this is not over.
I appreciate a certain degree of fatigue because it can feel like groundhog day.
It is true that now is when we are seeing the most patients.
More than in the first and second waves. "In his transit through the evolution of the virus and the circumstances in which it maneuvers, the infectious disease physician also speaks of" resignation. "
'It seems we haven't learned anything.
We all have responsibilities from politicians to citizens.
Jover assures that he already set a date for the peak of this third wave in the month of December when mobility was left in the hands of the citizens. As an expert in this field - 20 years working on the contours of infectious diseases - he prefers not to focus only on the figures but rather in the trend for which it urges to adopt "effective" restrictive measures.
With the threat of a collapse on the horizon due to the increase in cases (they have already enabled beds for Covid patients the
hall
or the auditorium of the Alicante hospital), the person in charge of infectious diseases chooses to remain calm.
"It is true that the UCIS are stressed but although this third year is going to fill us with mud, we are going to resist."
The current situation is complicated with almost full UCIS, overflowing personnel ...
The circumstances are what they are and there is a feeling that everything is out of control.
It is true that this third wave is when we are seeing more patients, more than in the first and second waves.
Despite that, according to my colleagues, the climate is calm despite the fact that we have more income pressure and less attention span.
The feeling is that this is not over.
Would a lockdown have prevented riding through these dramatic numbers now?
Undoubtedly, from a health point of view, a confinement of the population would end the outbreak.
Historically this is how it has been studied.
It is the largest and most effective tool but I understand that it is a complex decision.
The media are not directed at the main focus of the contagion.
The family environment is the greatest source of contagion.
Maybe it would have been better if there had been no Christmas.
Doctor, was this coming?
I dated the peak last Christmas.
He was convinced that on January 20 we would reach him, as it has been.
I think we are paying for Christmas.
Few people have any doubt about it.
What do you think of the measures that were adopted?
I think it has been shown that the preventive measures that were taken were not enough.
Greater limitation of mobility and meetings would have been necessary.
Perhaps leaving it to the discretion of the citizens has been a mistake but in no case can the population be blamed.
He speaks with some resignation ...
We all have responsibility from politicians to citizens.
With these figures it can give the feeling that we have not learned anything.
Are we irresponsible citizens?
I do not want to say that because it would be unfair but it gives the feeling that the messages do not get through and that maybe we are not aware that it could happen to us.
You got infected ...
Yes, it was mild and I have already had the first dose of the vaccine.
The staff is overwhelmed, double shifts, cover casualties and income does not stop ...
We assume it.
The situation is difficult because circumstances dictate it but, I insist, on a professional level we are approaching this third wave with more serenity and confidence.
The feeling there is is that of a lot of collaboration.
In ICUs the situation is worrying.
In fact, these units of the hospitals of the Valencian Community currently have the highest occupancy in the country ...
To tell the truth, there is still capacity in our hospital but it is true that the situation can be complicated.
We feel helpless and frustration.
The capacity is less than usual and all the toilets, absolutely all, are giving the best of them.
Will vaccination solve everything?
Well yes, but it goes at the rate it goes.
What is the difference between the first wave and the latter?
The first was more shocking because we didn't know what we were up against.
There was a lot of uncertainty and the confinement made it easier for us to control.
The second wave really surprised me, because we expected it for October and the cases arrived in August.
The third wave, as I said earlier, was highly anticipated.
This third wave is going to fill us with mud but we are going to resist.
From your vantage point, what would you say to the coronavirus deniers?
That they stop by the UCis, although there are fewer and fewer deniers.
What is the day-to-day life like in a hospital in which the
hall
with beds and the auditorium in anticipation of what is to come?
I will not deny that there is a certain degree of fatigue among professionals, it is like being on groundhog day.
There is more pressure but less ability to attend.
However, it is also true that we now have greater control of the situation than we did, for example, in March.
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