Pulmonologist Filipe Froes, who participated in the clarification session about the new coronavirus at FMUL, has been a regular presence in the media as a member of the National Health Council and a consultant to the DGS (General Health Directorate). In an interview with RTP, and taking stock of the recent meeting of the CNS (National Health Council), Filipe Froes explained that the measures to be implemented may be justified in certain areas of the country, to the detriment of others, and should always be evaluated in a “benefits-impact” perspective, stressing that we should not surrender to fear and panic, but rather “be attentive, cautious and prepared and know how to act with internal and external coordination”.

He considers that there are currently signs of uncoordination in the management of the viral crisis in Europe and reinforces the importance of communication in these types of scenarios, explaining that “it is not always possible to take the best measure at the best time, because there is a great degree of uncertainty”.

Filipe Froes believes that we are still far from reaching the peak of infected people in Portugal, warning about the problem of ventilators in our hospitals, which may start to become scarce if there is an abrupt rise in cases of people who need this support to breathe.

In the same interview, Filipe Froes also explained what is believed to be the origin of the infection in Italy, note the second major focus of the epidemic worldwide. In the Italian case, it is believed that the virus originated in a Chinese patient who went to Lombardy (Milan) in January or February, already infected and where he started to be treated. “You will have transmitted the disease to the doctor who operated on you. This doctor is probably patient zero. And what happened? Nobody put the chance of having transmitted the disease. After seven days the doctor fell ill, seven more days later he had severe pneumonia and was admitted to intensive care, submitted to intubation. And in the procedures in which he was submitted daily, as nobody knew, transmission by air occurred ”.

The expert also defended that in these situations of "great threat to public and individual health" we must "hope for the best and prepare for the worst".

See here the interview in detail