Coronavirus infections in Italy, “it is true, the cases are rising. But we cannot speak of the fifth wave of Covid-19, in my opinion. There are those who, like the infectious disease specialist Matteo Bassetti, defined it as the first wave of another virus. And I believe that is what is happening: the virus has changed, let’s get the old Sars-Cov-2 out of our heads at this stage. It is a virus that in its evolution has changed not only the genetic characteristics, but also the phenotypic ones: that is, it gives a different infection. And, if it continues like this, it could hopefully become a seasonal infection of the upper respiratory tract “. This is the analysis by Massimo Clementi, director of the Microbiology and Virology Laboratory of the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University in Milan.
In light of this, he explains to Adnkronos Salute, “the reopening process must continue as it was announced. At the end of March or early April I think that after increasing the cases they will return to decrease. I would not like to be proven wrong, but I think we will move towards a calmer situation. Then everything will have to be checked again in September-October, but with a situation that has perhaps stabilized “.
So on towards ‘freedom day’ is Clementi’s vision. Which he also agrees with his colleague Andrea Crisanti when he says that with this level of transmission, lingering on restrictions is useless. “I have been saying for a while that we have to circulate this virus, now that it gives these mild infections” in vaccinated “because by circulating it we are immunizing people. Of course, the frail must be protected and I also agree on this point “.
As for “Omicron 2 has a higher contagiousness than that of other coronaviruses and compared to other variants of Sars-CoV-2. Certainly, however, it does not have the characteristics of measles: it does not have the ability that measles has to induce a very powerful immune response, nor to lower the immune defenses. There are very different biological characteristics compared to other viruses. However, the sub-variant of Omicron BA.2 is certainly a very diffusive virus that replicates a lot in the upper airways, in a part of our body that is more in contact with the outside “explains Clementi.
Today we see “contagion prevalently among young people, with absent or modest symptoms and a progressive reduction in hospitalizations. Omicron 2 – analyzes the expert – is even more transmissible than Omicron 1. There are those who estimate 30% more or even more, but these are difficult to make counts. What is simpler and more correct to assess is the trend in the infected population, that is to say how much the new virus is able to replace the previous one. This is what matters to the end”.
“In the past we have had variants such as the one identified for the first time in Brazil”, the Gamma, “which worried a lot. It happened while the Alfa was running in Gb. It was feared that Gamma would run”, because on paper it seemed to have the capacity , “but apart from some cases, few in Italy and a little more in South America and other parts of the world, it was not a successful variant. For Omicron 2 it is different: the variant will replace the 1, but the evolutionary line , and this is important, it is always that of Omicron and as long as it remains a variant in this evolutionary field it must be watched carefully but makes us trust that the virus has not substantially changed much “, compared to Omicron 1.
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