YEREVAN, OCTOBER 13, ARMENPRESS. Armenian hospitals are out of beds for COVID-19 patients amid rapidly rising infection rates, the CDC Director of Department of Epidemiology of Infectious and Non-Infectious Diseases Romella Abovyan said on Wednesday.

She said that the epidemiological situation in the country is very tense, with data of the past two weeks showing nearly 50% increase of new cases.

Abovyan warned that by European standards Armenia might soon be included in the very-risky category above the current red zone.

“The infection rate is high all across the country,” she said, noting that persons aged 30-50 are mostly affected.

“Hospitals are overloaded, we are out of beds, there are many cases of infections which proceed with serious clinical manifestations,” Abovyan said.

Abovyan warned people against downplaying any flu-like symptoms. “In many cases people contact doctors too late. They get tested with delays, and upon having symptoms they think it might be a seasonal cold. They delay a visit to the doctor so much that their lungs get very infected. I am asking our citizens to contact a doctor immediately upon having a sore throat, headache, fever or fatigue,” Abovyan said.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan