Paula galinsky
07/09/2021 13:04
Clarín.com
Society
Updated 07/09/2021 13:04
“The pandemic is like a soccer game.
The coronavirus is the ball and we are all running it from behind.
We still can't control it.
We seek to add certainties but
there are things that we do not know and others that we thought we were clear about but that changed with the new variants,
”says Arnaldo Casiró, head of Infectious Diseases at Hospital Álvarez.
Those certainties that ceased to be such reach notions as basic as
close contact
.
Also the
impact of vaccination
with one and two doses, herd immunity and the long-awaited
end of the pandemic
.
With the Wuhan variant as the only threat, "the two doses of the vaccine, which were very far by then, seemed to solve the problem," says Casiró.
“Today we are not so sure about that.
There is already talk of
the possibility of a third dose
, in some cases as a reinforcement so that the level of antibodies does not fall and in others to adapt to the
new variants
”, he highlights.
In addition, the Álvarez specialist explains that it is even likely that it will become necessary to "
revaccinate once a year
, as happens with the flu."
Eduardo López
, who is an infectologist, head of the Department of Medicine at Hospital Gutiérrez and a member of the committee that advises the President, agrees on this point.
"With the appearance of new variants, more is thought about this idea that the coronavirus can become an
endemic disease
, which requires an annual vaccine," he warns.
Vaccination against Covid could be repeated once a year, as with the flu.
Photo Maxi Failla
The effectiveness of the vaccines, in terms of the possibilities of preventing infection and avoiding the development of a serious condition, were also modified from the mutations.
Although, according to infectologists, not drastically.
“A year ago we thought that with one dose we were going to stop complications.
The new variants showed us that both applications are needed to have adequate protection, "says López.
And he adds: "It is known that with Delta, for example, the
two doses do not guarantee zero
hospitalizations and
deaths either
. With this variant, the latest studies show that Pfizer is
92% effective
in preventing hospitalization and Sputnik has a 90 % ".
Along the same lines, Casiró maintains that "mortality drops a lot with vaccination but
it is not zero
."
Regarding deaths, he laments another associated change: he observes a
greater number of young people in serious condition
who, in some cases, die.
And he remarks that, with the infection by the Wuhan variant, this did not happen.
In this regard, he clarifies that they are people who are not vaccinated.
Open air and chinstrap, keys to avoid "close contact" with a positive Covid case.
Photo Lucia Merle
About Delta and thinking about what may happen in the future, he says that there are no studies that confirm greater aggressiveness, but there is high transmissibility: “
Many more get sick and, consequently,
more are also losing their lives
.
Hence the importance of completing the vaccination schedules soon ”, he adds.
It is precisely because of the great chances of contagion of this variant - Delta is up to 80% more transmissible than that of the United Kingdom, which was already 30% worse than that of Wuhan - that there are also doubts about
the risks and exposure
.
"Although the definition of
close contact
did not change and we still detect this situation when two people are
less than two meters apart
for
15 minutes
without the recommended protection, the reality is that we do not know if this can be modified in the short term", highlights Casiró.
López thinks that in practice it is likely that in a shorter period of contact the person may already be exposed to Manaus or Delta.
The combination of doses
Combining vaccines
was considered unfeasible during the first wave.
“Details on the possible adverse effects of each vaccine were still lacking, so it was not possible to think about mixing technologies.
The panorama also changed in this sense and he is already immunizing himself with, for example, a dose of AstraZeneca and another of Pfizer ”, adds Casiró.
Meanwhile, López highlights modifications in terms of treatments: “Some therapies or medications were presented as promising, it happened with
hydroxychloroquine
and
ivermectin
.
Ultimately
they did not meet the expected effect
, ”says López.
Finally, it could be said that the new mutations impacted on the famous
herd immunity
and, in the same vein, with the end of the pandemic.
Although at first there was talk of the need to have between 60% and 70% of the population vaccinated with two doses, today they are already asking to approach
80%
.
Trials to combine doses of different vaccines have already begun in our country.Photo Ignacio Blanco / Los Andes
"The only way to contain the situation against variants that
evade the immune system
is to have a very high percentage immunized," says López, who does not set a date for the
end of the pandemic
.
“It is another of the things that we do not know.
Having few people susceptible to contagion is the key so that
new mutations
that can continue to modify the scene
stop appearing
.
That is the way, we are going there but it is not clear how long may be missing ”, he closes.
MG
Look also
The doubts with Sputnik V: why the WHO and the EMA do not approve it
PAHO report: the Delta variant of Covid still has a “very limited” presence in America