First Case of Stealth Omicron Infection Confirmed in Serbia

COVID hospital (Photo: Print Screen YouTube)

The first case of infection with the "stealth" subvariant of the Omicron strain of SARS-CoV-2 has been confirmed in Serbia according to a Feb. 7 report by the Serbian Broadcasting Corporation, which noted that the information had been confirmed by the Belgrade School of Medicine.

Mirsad Djerlek, state secretary at the Serbian Ministry of Health, said on Feb. 7 that he felt certain that the subvariant had spread to Serbia. "We don't know what "stealth" is bringing us, but obviously it will be something we're not expecting," Djerlek said.

In the last 24 hours, 63 people died of COVID-19 in Serbia, while 11,439 were confirmed to be infected with the virus, it was announced on the covid19.rs website on Feb. 7. Hospital care is currently being provided for 4,377 COVID-19 patients, 164 of whom require assisted ventilation. The number of samples tested in the last 24 hours was 26,873. Since the beginning of the epidemic in Serbia, the disease has claimed 14,054 lives, according to official figures.

Zoran Bekic, coordinator of vaccination hubs at the Belgrade Fair and shopping centers, said on Feb. 7 that the pace of vaccination had slowed down. "A total of 136,000 vaccines were administered in January, while just last year we gave some 80,000 doses in one day," Bekic stressed, reminding that vaccination was the only way out of the epidemic.