Zelensky Promised $ 1 Million for Coronavirus Vaccine

The Ukrainian chief sanitary doctor Viktor Liashko noted that the coronavirus epidemic in the country is having an optimistic scenario development. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky promised Ukrainian scientists to pay a premium of at least $ 1 million if they invent the vaccine or medicine fighting coronavirus. Deputy Minister of Health, Chief Sanitary Doctor of Ukraine Viktor Liashko stated in an interview to the Left Bank on Sunday, TASS reported. “Let me tell you a secret,” Liashko said. “The president asked me to write letters to our academics and promised that the person who invents the vaccine or medicine, will receive at least a million dollars.” The chief sanitary doctor noted that the coronavirus epidemic in Ukraine is developing according to an optimistic scenario. “Now we are following a scenario providing that no more than 2% of the population will be infected during the outbreak,” he said. “Why is 2% an optimistic scenario? Because, according to our estimations, having 2% of infected population, the health system will cope without serious consequences with patient’s quantity admitted to the intensive care unit. If there is 10% or more, the medical system may collapse. Unless we do not stretch these 10% in time. " Liashko hoped the peak incidence will occur next week, while the number of cases will be lower. “If we adhere to quarantine measures, then yes, not high,” Liashko said, referring to the incidence rate. “The outbreak is expected to peak on April 17th.” At the same time, he acknowledged that the dynamics of the epidemic are difficult to predict. The chief health officer suggested that the country begins easing quarantine restrictions after April 24th. "If we adhere to quarantine measures and the main thing is not to violate quarantine for Easter, then in principle we will soon see a positive trend and from April 24 we will begin to quit quarantine," Liashko added. According to the Ministry of Health, the number of people infected with coronavirus in Ukraine increased to 2777 people, with an increase by 266 in the last 24 hours. Note that 83 deaths were recorded in the country on Sunday morning and 89 patients recovered.