Istanbul University receiving twice as many COVID-19 patients as pandemic worsens

Istanbul University's Cerrahpaşa Medical School has been observing twice as many patients, the dean said on Oct. 20. Turkey's official numbers receded to early May levels on the same day, observing some 2,026 diagnoses. "There's almost a doubling of the number of cases and patients seeking help in Cerrahpaşa. The winter might be rough for all of us," the dean said.

Wednesday October 21 2020 03:49 pm

Duvar English

Istanbul University has observed the number of COVID-19 patients double, Cerrahpaşa Medical School Dean Sait Gönen said on Oct. 20 when Turkey's official numbers receded back to May levels, observing some 2,026 diagnoses.

"There's almost a doubling of the number of cases and patients seeking help in Cerrahpaşa. The winter might be rough for all of us," the dean said.

Cerrahpaşa’da vaka sayılarında ve hastane başvurularında iki katına yakın artış var. Kış hepimiz için zor geçebilir. Halen en büyük silahımız maske, fiziki mesafe ve hijyene uymak! Lütfen gevşemeyelim.
— M.Sait Gönen (@drsgonen) October 20, 2020

Gönen also said that masks, physical distancing and following sanitary guidelines were the biggest weapon against the pandemic, urging his followers to not relax.

Turkey's Health Ministry reported some 1,894 new diagnoses on Oct. 20, while some 74 patients died, although skepticism about official numbers is ongoing, as Health Minister Fahrettin Koca revealed recently that Ankara had only been reporting symptomatic patients to the public.

The total number of COVID-19 cases is about five times that reported in the government's daily tally, a senior official who requested anonymity told Reuters, echoing concerns by Turkey's top medical association and opposition lawmakers.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca has warned about the uptick in numbers and urged Turks to abide by nationwide distancing and mask rules, which are subject to fines.