The CSIC virologist says that the situation in Spain is “safer” than last year but calls for “precaution” and to maintain the restrictions
LA LAGUNA (TENERIFE), Dec. 2 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The virologist and researcher at the CSIC, Margarita del Val, admitted this Thursday that there is “concern” with the appearance of the ‘omicron’ variant of the coronavirus but understands that it should be limited to an alert in the scientific field.
In statements to journalists before participating in the closure of ‘CampusÁfrica’, he warned that the worrying thing about this variant is the high number of mutations “that it tolerates” but for now, from a biological point of view, it is unknown if it is resistant to vaccines or natural infection or if it is more or less transmissible or virulent. “We do not know anything yet,” he added.
He said that it is not even known “where it came from” because what South Africa has done is detect it and report it and now they are “rewarded” by blocking international flights. “I am against blocking South Africa,” he said.
Del Val has also commented that the variants of the virus “compete with each other” and the ‘delta’ has displaced all variants, including the ‘beta’ in South Africa “and perhaps the ‘delta’ continues to be more contagious and displaces the ‘omicron’ that has not gotten to take off “.
However, he has defended that this new variant is defended the same as with the others, with vaccination, personal distance, mask, ventilation and hand washing, perhaps in a “more intense” way due to the arrival of winter.
However, he pointed out that the situation in Spain is “safer” than last year because the vaccination rate is very high, especially in those over 60 years of age and more than in the rest of Europe, but recommends “acting with caution and maintain the restrictions “given that there is still a group of non-vulnerable people such as the unvaccinated or people in whom the vaccine has not caught due to having a weaker immune system
Along these lines, he has said that it is necessary to prevent infections from increasing because the probability of more serious cases increases and therefore recommends more teleworking for the next few dates, masks abroad during purchases, use of FPP2 when it cannot be ventilated and antigen test before the celebrations.
“This has the advantage that if there is a positive, he isolates himself and does not go to the food and saves the others,” he commented, also underlining that as soon as someone has any symptoms compatible with the disease, they should refrain from going to these meetings .
PAY ANTIGEN TEST TO THE GRAND CHILDREN
“Each one has to evaluate their risk and why not that grandparents pay the antigen test to their grandchildren if they are partiers, in each family and groups of friends the circumstances are known and they must be applied sensibly”, he commented.
He has pointed out that antigen tests are not as sensitive as PCR but “it is instantaneous and it gives it to you at the moment” so it is “one more layer to lower the risk”.
Del Val has argued that the fight against the pandemic “is being channeled” and this will be the last winter to “calibrate the power” of the virus in a population as vaccinated as the Spanish.
He has not hidden that the virus “is going to stay” among the world population “clearly” and there will be infection “sooner or later” and although among young people the risk of mortality is low, he asks them to be vaccinated because Covid-19 leaves ” aftermath”.
“The virus will stay with us, it is not possible to eradicate it,” he added, although he acknowledges that it will be “more benign”, close to a flu, thanks to the greater immune defense and the appearance of the first antivirals for cases of more risk.
“It is something unknown, concentration problems, memory, it is not known how long it will last, fatigue, problems breathing, smell and taste, it affects your life. Think about whether you want to have ailments from a young age, think about it a lot”, He has commented, while he has valued the high proportion of young people who have been vaccinated because it is a gesture of “thinking about others”.
Compared with other pandemics, he stressed that influenza A was fought because there was “a lot of immunity” but SARS-CoV2 is new in its internal and external part “and there was no immunity at all, that is why it has devastated so many people” .
THE ‘COVID CERTIFICATE’, AN ADVANTAGE IN THE CANARY ISLANDS
He has also said that the virulence is higher than that of the flu and with a mortality of 1%, which “is tremendous”, and also is transmitted “efficiently and quickly and very difficult to control, it is very silent.”
Regarding the other great pandemic in recent years, AIDS, he has commented that risky contacts can be avoided but when there were no antiretrovirals “it was a death sentence, with brutal mortality.”
He also commented that the original SARS was eradicated thanks to the fact that it was symptomatic.
Questioned about the vaccine in children, she commented that the authorization for those between 5 and 11 years old “is good news” for children with immunodeficiencies because “they are very vulnerable.”
However, he has pointed out that the risk of coronavirus for children “is very low” and the vaccination campaign promoted in the United States will provide a lot of information on safety.
Regarding the use of the ‘Covid certificate’, he pointed out that “it is an advantage” for a place like the Canary Islands “and it can be used” although it does not give “absolute security” because the vaccinated are contagious but with less force.
“No single measure is effective, the vaccine is the best but it is not infallible, and there is the mask, the distance and the ventilation, the mask is our ace up our sleeve with respect to Europeans and the vaccination passport, one more”, has indicated.
