Poland

Already over 130 thousand people were vaccinated in our country against COVID-19. Meanwhile, there is a discussion about which privileges should be counted on by Poles who receive the vaccine. Among the ideas, there is even such that only those who are vaccinated receive 500 plus benefit. How realistic is this idea? The government has not yet officially commented on it. However, there are more realistic proposals: vaccinated people are to be released immediately from quarantine after contact with a sick person. What else can they count on? Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com What privileges will those vaccinated against COVID-19 be able to count on?  Vaccinated people should not count on special privileges, but we have introduced the status of the vaccinated person in the National Vaccination Program – said Michał Dworczyk. Who is getting the vaccine? Medics from the zero group will be the first to use the vaccine. Employees of nursing homes and support staff also have priority. The government is concerned that there may not be enough people willing to vaccinate. Therefore, he offered “benefits” for the vaccinated, which Michał Dworczyk talked about on Radio ZET. Photo by Thirdman on Pexels.com Tax breaks? Will vaccinated people have additional privileges? This question was answered in the program of the Guest of Radio ZET by the Head of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister and the government’s plenipotentiary for vaccination, Michał Dworczyk. The National Immunization Program defines the status of vaccinated person. This status varies for a person who has not been vaccinated. However, it is not about any special privileges. The vaccinated person is safe for others. This is a guarantee that the person will not spread the virus. Hence the solution to lifting the quarantine against the vaccinated. These are rational rules, said the head of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister. Will discrimination happen?! When asked if the unvaccinated would be discriminated against in this way, the politician replied that “the government acts rationally”. I am against giving privileges to the vaccinated. Releasing Poles after the vaccine from the quarantine obligation is not a bonus, but a common-sense action. Why should we isolate those who are definitely not transmitting disease? On principle? It does not make sense  MICHAŁ DWORCZYK I am opposed to privileges such as tax relief for the vaccinated. This would be an unreasonable bonus. Such an idea appeared in public debate, but the government did not work on it, replied the government representative. Photo by Key Notez on Pexels.com “Vaccinated status” being introduced The National Immunization Program introduces the concept of “vaccinated status”. As we read in the document, the receipt of the vaccine will be confirmed by a special system that will allow the vaccination to be verified (including a QR code that will allow you to quickly confirm the vaccination). What “privileges” can a person with a vaccination certificate count on? In addition to being released from the quarantine obligation, even after contact with an infected person, the vaccinated will be able to use public health services without additional tests. Those who get vaccinated will also not be counted towards the limits on socializing. Who has priority? Vaccination of Poles belonging to group zero has started. It concerns employees of the health care sector (including individual practitioners), employees of Nursing Homes, and employees of Municipal Social Welfare Centers as well as auxiliary and administrative staff in medical facilities. As part of the vaccination of health care workers, people will be able to get vaccinated, e.g. performing medical professions, i.e. providing health services, including laboratory diagnosticians, pharmacists, clinical psychologists and others, including employees of private healthcare providers. Vaccinations will also cover technical and administrative employees of medical entities, diagnostic laboratories, medical transport, as well as university teachers and students of medical faculties Photo by Thirdman on Pexels.com Stage 1 to 3 Immediately after them, as part of the first stage, inmates of nursing homes and nursing and care centers, as well as other places of stationary stay, people over 60 years of age, in the order of the oldest, uniformed services and teachers, will get vaccinated. The second stage involves vaccinating those seniors who suffer from chronic diseases or are undergoing treatment. During this time, people who “directly ensure the functioning of the basic activities of the state and are exposed to infection due to frequent social contacts” will also be vaccinated. The last ones in the third round will be vaccinated by entrepreneurs and employees of sectors closed under the regulations on establishing certain restrictions, orders, and bans in connection with the outbreak of the epidemic. Right after them, other adults will be able to vaccinate. Stay safe everyone! The Twisted Red LadyBug

Restrictions for Christmas and New Year’s Eve 2020. Only 5 guests can come to the family for Christmas. The government decided so, issuing further restrictions on fighting the pandemic. We write what else is unusual for us as of Christmas 2020. It is because of the Coronavirus. New restrictions until 27th of December 2020! Coronavirus statistics remain volatile. As part of the fight against the pandemic, the government introduced further restrictions in November, which will be in force until December 27 , and thus also the day after Christmas 2020. In connection with these provisions, it will be unacceptable to feast together at an exceptionally large table this year . All this in the light of the law – it is a regulation limiting the number of people who can stay in an apartment at the same time. This regulation states: “Until December 27, 2020, it is forbidden to organize (…) assemblies, including events, meetings, and gatherings of any type, except for meetings of up to 5 people, which take place in the premises or building indicated as the address of the place of residence or stay of the person who organizes the event or meeting “. Photo by Key Notez on Pexels.com The rules On Christmas 2020, apart from the household members, only 5 guests will be able to sit at the table. Christmas Eve for the homeless, sick, lonely, and seniors this year are canceled by the pandemic. The organizers of these festive meetings, such as Caritas and the Polish Red Cross, can give out, for example, food packages for Christmas.If “Gwiazdor” (aka the Star Man aka Santa Claus/Saint Nicholas) comes to children, he must also wear a protective mask under the chin and under the mask.Christmas shopping: 1 customer in the shop, per 15 square meters!Church: keep a distance at least of 1.5 meters between people & cover the mouth and nose. This goes also for the Midnight Mass! There will also be no traditional Christmas carols in the 2020/21 season. Parishioners will be able to go to a special mass instead of Christmas carols in their apartment!No New Year’s Eve parties and concerts!No New Year’s Eve 2020 spent in a restaurant, pub, or hotel! See the article in Polish language on Gazeta Krakowska site. Are YOU ready for the holidays? The Twisted Red LadyBug

Vaccines for COVID-19 in Poland are getting closer. As promised by the health minister, the first groups of people are to be vaccinated at the turn of January and February 2021. Friday the 4th of December 2020, preliminary vaccination procedures were announced. Meanwhile, more questions arise from the public about its side effects. Doubts are dispelled by Dr. Lidia Stopyra, a specialist in infectious diseases, head of the Department of Infectious Diseases at the Stefan Żeromski Specialist Hospital in Krakow. Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com Declaration of readiness From Friday, medical entities may declare their readiness to participate in the national vaccination program against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, said the head of the Prime Minister’s Office, Michał Dworczyk. Recruitment has started on the Internet. There you will find all the details that must be met by hospitals and clinics to participate in the program. The first stage of recruitment will last until December 11 . “On December 15, there will be information about all reported points where it will be possible to get vaccinated. We estimate that in Poland it may be approx. 8 thousand. points, in large agglomerations” – said Dworczyk. “We want the program not to disturb the normal functioning of the clinic” – he specified. Additional points will also be provided in reserve hospitals. Point in each municipality In addition, in line with the promises of the government, each commune will have at least one mobile vaccination point dedicated to people with disabilities who cannot reach stationary places on their own. Each doctor will be able to decide on a qualification for vaccination. “We want hospitals, health care centers, private entities to report their teams. There is no requirement that the entity has a contract with the National Health Fund. It is enough for the team to meet the basic criteria” – said the Minister of Health, Adam Niedzielski. “We will pay great attention to the safety of patients during vaccination” – he added. COVID Vaccine – Photo by Thirdman on Pexels.com The registration & Evaluation Process will be ongoing! It includes o disinfection of the entire infrastructure intended for vaccination. Each hospital should have a vaccination coordinator who will take on the reporting responsibilities so that it is clear how the program is going, how many people have already had their vaccinations. Please do not count that this vaccine will be today or tomorrow. The clinical trial registration and evaluation process are ongoing. The vaccine will probably be in early January. It will not be introduced until we are sure that it meets all the safety and effectiveness criteria.Prof. Andrzej Horban, chief advisor to the prime minister for combating the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic. 2 doses are required! The vaccination effect is expected to be visible after about 6 weeks. Prof. Horban recalled that 2 doses would be required. He stated that the vaccine did not alter the genome, as some say. Local reactions may occur, such as with influenza vaccination. “In the beginning, we want to protect the groups that are most at risk of dying. The vaccine will work if most of the population is vaccinated” – added prof. Horban. “Vaccination of young people will be done in the second place” – he said. Qualifications for the vaccine How will the qualification for vaccination look like? “If there are indications for vaccinations, there are basically no contraindications. Apart from a high fever” – said prof. Horban. “We vaccinate everyone, regardless of the level of antibodies or infection, to make them more resistant to re-infection” – he specified. DOUBT! – Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com Doubts about the safety of the preparation Meanwhile, more and more questions and doubts about vaccine safety arise among part of the society. Doubts in this regard are dispelled by Dr. Lidia Stopyra, a specialist in infectious diseases, head of the Department of Infectious Diseases at the Stefan Żeromski Specialist Hospital in Krakow. “These vaccines are worrying because they were developed quickly.” You can comment on it this way: need is the mother of invention. No serious and self-respecting company would release a vaccine on the market, the safety of which would not be certain, because it could lead to multi-million dollar lawsuits and, as a result, bankruptcy.Dr. Stopyra And he adds that we can assess their safety by analogy to other vaccines produced by the same method. “On this basis, we can assume that this vaccine, like any other substance that has been introduced into our body, may, for example, cause a strong allergic reaction. However, it should be realized that the risk of such complications is extremely rare. They are also nothing compared to the behavior and severe course of COVID-19”, explains Dr. Stopyra. Photo by Thirdman on Pexels.com A chance to return to normal? In her opinion, the COVID-19 vaccine is a chance to return to normal. When asked how many people would have to be vaccinated in order for us to feel safe, she replies: “Judging on the basis of the experience that medicine has with other infectious diseases, we can assume that with vaccinations at the level of 80-90% we will be able to feel safe”. The level of protection also depends on how many people have contracted the disease. And we do not know this completely, because the statistics only include the number of convalescents who have had the tests performed, and yet there are a lot of people who have not been tested. Recent numbers (as of 5th December, when the article was published) Recent laboratory tests have confirmed SARS-CoV-2 in 13,239 people, 599 of whom are residents of our province. Since the beginning of the pandemic in the region, infection with Coronavirus has been confirmed in 96 140 people. Unfortunately, a lot of infected people still die every day.  Article translated from Gazeta Krakowska (published on the 5th of December 2020) – read it in the Polish language here. Stay safe! The Twisted Red LadyBug