Biological hazards

Bulgaria finds itself in the midst of a winter health challenge, with seasonal flu prevalence soaring, outpacing COVID-19 by a factor of six. The incidence rate in the capital city Sofia has reached 83 cases per 10,000 people, while the national average stands at 159 per 10,000. In an interview, epidemiologist Prof.

Chief Health Inspector Angel Kunchev has sounded the alarm, indicating that the flu season has commenced in Bulgaria and is poised to reach epidemic proportions within the next one to two weeks. In an interview with Nova TV on Saturday, Kunchev emphasized the dynamic nature of the situation, closely aligning with expectations for a typical winter flu surge.

North Korea on Thursday reported the eruption of another infectious disease in addition to its ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, saying leader Kim Jong Un has donated his private medicines to those stricken with the new disease.

Experts in Greece fear a double pandemic due to the increase in the number of people infected with COVID-19 and the expected spread of seasonal flu, Greek media reported.

The coronavirus pandemic in Bulgaria could end when the level of 40,000 vaccinations per day is reached, mathematician Prof. Nikolay Vitanov has said. He told the Bulgarian National Radio that currently one-third of the infected people go through the disease without symptoms, without seeking medical help and they do not enter the official statistics.

The emergency epidemic situation in Bulgaria will be extended by 3 months. This decision was made by the government at today's meeting of the Council of Ministers.

The news was announced by the Minister of Health Dr. Stoycho Katsarov.

Vietnam has discovered a new COVID-19 variant which spreads quickly by air and is a combination of the Indian and British strains, health officials confirmed on May 29.

The country is struggling to deal with fresh outbreaks across more than half of its territory, including industrial zones and big cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

A World Health Organization spokesperson has claimed COVID-19 is here to stay, with the opportunity to eradicate it now likely long gone. 

And that means a return to pre-pandemic normality is off the cards, according to Margaret Harris. 

"We are racing against the virus all the time," said Prof. Yordanka Stoilova, Head of the Department of Epidemiology and Disaster Medicine at the Medical University of Plovdiv and Chief Coordinator of the Expert Council on Epidemiology in her comment on whether the public is ready for a new tightening of restrictive measures because of the spike in Covid-19morbidity. She pointed out:

China reported its highest daily number of new coronavirus cases in months on June 14 with parts of Beijing still under lockdown, offering a second wave warning to the rest of the world as the pandemic rages in South America.