site.bta618 Confirmed COVID-19 Cases in Bulgaria

April 9 (BTA) - The confirmed COVID-19 cases in Bulgaria have increased to 618, the Health Ministry said in a press release on Thursday afternoon, citing information from the national coronavirus task force. Seven new cases were added to the record on Thursday. Of the total infections, 347 are male and 271 female. Their average age is 48 years. Forty-eight patients have recovered. The number of fatalities, 24 (3.9 per cent of all confirmed cases), has not changed over the last 24 hours.

There are 230 hospitalized patients under medical supervision, 32 of whom are in intensive care. Thirty-three medical staff have so far tested positive for the virus.

Earlier in the day, the Chief Health Inspector, Dr Angel Kounchev, said that "active
circulation of the virus in Sofia is yet to be seen, so that one cannot rely on herd immunity for protection". Kounchev referred to the results of testing of 1,016 police officers, 1,007 or 99 per cent of whom tested negative. Two had positive antibody results, meaning "recent infection". Seven people, or 0.7 per cent, "encountered the virus, probably with clinical symptoms, but already have antibodies," Kounchev said. He sees the results of the testing as representative of the entire population, given that the mean age of the tested people was 39 years and that they belong to a group of people with intensive contacts, exposing them more frequently to the virus.

Kounchev said that "the epidemic is under control". If the stringent measures continue, there is a chance of keeping the spread of the infection at a low intensity. "It is still early to ease the measures for physical distancing," he said.

The head of the national coronavirus task force, Prof. Ventsislav Moutafchiiski, said that the Bulgarian Government and health authorities regards mass screening as
be expensive and pointless has "proved a completely right strategy". "The
tactics resorted to worldwide is to stem the virulence of the infection until a treatment is found," Moutafchiiski said, adding that sufficient data are not yet available about what happens with recovered patients, how long their immunity lasts and to what extent they are protected.

More than 1,100 asymptomatic members of the military have been tested before leaving or after returning from overseas missions, Moutafchiiski said. Less than 0.7 per cent of them proved infected, he specified.

RY/ZH, DT
//