General Director of Infectious Disease, AIDS, and Clinical Immunology Center, Professor Tengiz Tsertsvadze, responds to the doubts on Georgian COVID-19 related statistics’ accuracy, expressed by Armenian Minister of Health, Arsen Torosyan, in writing.
The full version of Tengiz Tsertsvadze’s response:
“Radio Tavisupleba (Freedom) has published information that, according to the Armenian Agency Arminfo, the Health Minister of Armenia, Mr. Arsen Torosyan expressed, mildly-speaking, several objectionable remarks, and inaccuracies with regards to Georgia. In particular, he put into doubt the official statistics of COVID-19 situation in Georgia and concluded that the Armenian anti-epidemiological system of Armenia is much stronger than the Georgian one?! In particular, he said word-by-word - “Georgian Health and anti-epidemiological systems are distinctly different from Armenian systems, in the best sense of the words. Our system is much stronger, and it is a fact?!” – said Armenian Health Minister.
It is ridiculous (not to say more), Mr. Minister’s statement, that the Armenian epidemiological system is stronger than that of Georgia.
As for the doubt of Mr. Minister of Georgian statistics accuracy, we want to declare that the process of revealing and registration of COVID-infected patients in Georgia is accomplished in compliance with the highest international standards and transparency, and nobody had doubted their accuracy, none of the international institutes or experts. We consider that Mr. Minister must either prove his incorrect (to say it mildly) assessments or dispel them and apologize.
As for the questions of Mr. Torosyan, we answer that there is a unique highest-level Lugar laboratory functioning in Georgia, where all laboratory tests are conducted on the highest level and testing systems’ quality, and it excludes inaccuracies of all types. We are not sure that Armenia has a better quality laboratory, methodology, and test-systems. All diagnostic tests are accomplished using PCR tests (the total number of PCR tests conducted until now is 45,707), and we are using anti-body quick tests only as additional tests to reveal SARS-SoV-2 seropositive persons (and not patients).
We implemented an efficient system of managing COVID-19-infected patients, timely and precise diagnostic of all patients, including asymptomatic and light-form patients, and high standards of clinical management of complicated and critical patients. We also use an innovational methodology, which is justified by the small number of fatal cases.
Georgia systematically gets high evaluation from the UN, WHO, and other international institutes and authoritative individuals for the achievements in the field of COVID-19 management.
We would like to invite Mr. Arsen Torosyan and all interested persons to Georgia to share our experience in the COVID-19 sphere” – wrote Tengiz Tsertsvadze.
The Head of NCDC, Amiran Gakrelidze, also responded to the Torosyan’s statement.
According to the May 22 data, there are 5,928 cases of confirmed coronavirus infections in Armenia; 2874 patients have recovered, and 74 people have died.
The total number of infected people in Georgia is 723, four hundred and ninety-five patients have recovered, and twelve have died.
