Fabrizio Pregliasco
Lapresse
Covid, lockdown in January? "Everything to see and evaluate over time"
"We must immediately take the right precautions, even if we do not yet know if the antibodies produced by the disease or by the vaccine are avoided by this. new variant". The virologist Fabrizio Pregliasco, member of the Cts of Lombardy and medical director of the Galeazzi hospital in Milan, comments with Affaritaliani.it the worldwide alarm for the new South African variant of Covid. "Investigations and in-depth studies are underway, it will take another week to get a precise picture. However, there is a disturbing fact: in Israel on vaccinated subjects in one week the index of isolated samples went from 1 to 30%. This data is worrying in terms of diffusion ".
As for the mortality of the South African variant, Pregliasco is cautious: "We do not yet know if it is more or less dangerous and therefore in precautionary terms, rightly, Italy has also closed flights with countries such as South Africa and Hong Kong. The positive aspect is that today we are in able to evaluate the variants, since viruses naturally mutate and have the ability to better adapt to the host. We can therefore monitor the situation and anticipate the necessary actions. Investigations are underway and it cannot be excluded that this new variant is in able to dodge vaccine antibodies".
Lockdown in January? Possible hypothesis or to be excluded? "This virus has taught us that we must be flexible and quick to intervene. For now, the actions taken in Italy leave us to think that a national lockdown is not necessary, but everything to be seen and evaluated over time". In the end children in age 5-11, after the EMA's green light for vaccination. Pregliasco has no doubts: "Let's vaccinate them as soon as possible".
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