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 Now Pascu, who runs a small business, is one of around 1,040
COVID-19 patients currently in intensive care across Romania where
cases have more than doubled over the last week and ICU beds are
becoming dangerously scarce.
With the second-lowest vaccination rate in the European Union,
Romania is bracing for a fourth wave of the pandemic that looks set
to overwhelm hospitals where medical staff are already stretched
thin.
"I thought that if I made it through three waves without getting
infected, I can make it through another one without a vaccine,"
Pascu said, her voice so weak that she could barely speak.
Whereas the European Union has fully vaccinated 72% of its adult
population on the whole, Romania has only managed 34%, exposing
entrenched distrust in state institutions, misinformation campaigns,
poor rural infrastructure and weak vaccine education.
The government, which eased restrictions despite low vaccine intake,
has missed a goal to vaccinate 10 million people by September, with
little over 5 million inoculated. About 40% of medical and school
staff were not vaccinated and officials have so far stopped short of
making it mandatory.
On Wednesday, Romania had only 32 intensive care beds available, and
was struggling to add more because of staff shortages. Daily
infection rates are nearing a record high of over 10,000 and public
health officials this month estimated that Romania could see
15,000-20,000 new daily cases in October.
In capital Bucharest, Beatrice Mahler, the manager of the Marius
Nasta Pneumology Institute was trying to staff a mobile intensive
care unit.
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 "At the moment I have great,
great problems in opening these beds, because we
can't work without staff."
The institute's morgue is also at capacity and
is looking to rent mortuary freezers, she said.
"I am scared because I don't know how much we
can help if there aren't enough of us," said
Anita Timofte, the institute's chief ICU nurse.
"I ... suspect there will not be enough room for
how many people will be unlucky to get sick."
Restrictions including weekend curfews are being
reintroduced in cities and villages with high
case numbers. Schools are increasingly moving
online.
Along with efforts to find more staff and
provide more beds, officials plan to send mobile
vaccination units to schools and introduced a
lottery with vouchers and cash prizes to boost
inoculations.
"What is essential is being able to give
specialized medical attention to those who need
it. The human resource is what limits us,"
deputy health minister Andrei Baciu said.
As for Pascu, she plans to get vaccinated after
she recovers. So does Raul Adin, a 20-year-old
patient gasping for breath through a respirator.
"I 100% plan to get vaccinated," he said.
 (Reporting by Luiza Ilie and Octv Ganea; Editing
by Raissa Kasolowsky)
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