How effective are travel restrictions against covid?

Is Ómicron more contagious than delta?

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(CNN) -

Governments are trying to buy time with a series of new travel restrictions, as they check the possible impact of the omicron variant of the coronavirus.

But some authorities criticize these restrictions as unfair and ineffective.

The World Health Organization's Regional Office for Africa said Sunday it supports African nations and called for borders to remain open as a growing number of countries around the world impose flight bans from southern African countries.

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The office said countries should take a scientific and risk-based approach and implement measures that can limit the possible spread of the variant.

"Establishing travel bans targeting Africa undermines global solidarity," said WHO Regional Director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti.

"Covid-19 is constantly exploiting our divisions. We will only be able to defeat the virus if we work together to find solutions."

Travel restrictions may help to slightly reduce the spread of COVID-19, but "place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods."

There is an "intuitive attraction" to restricting travel, says Dr. William Schaffner, Professor of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

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"'Wow, the bad viruses are there, let's put up an iron curtain and stop the virus from getting here,' but the travel restrictions are not very restrictive," he said.

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In fact, they are very porous for a number of reasons.

On the one hand, new US restrictions continue to allow US citizens and legal permanent residents from affected countries in southern Africa to enter the country.

"What makes you think they couldn't bring the virus with them?"

Schaffner said.

It is similar to the first 2020 restrictions restricting travel from China, he said.

"The Americans kept coming in and they brought the virus with them."

López Obrador ruled out restrictions due to the new variant of the coronavirus, omicron 1:19

"No. 2, we are dealing with an extraordinarily contagious respiratory virus and history tells us that bans, restrictions, etc. only give us a little time, if they do, because they are so contagious that they will spread."

And "there is always an element of closing the barn door after the horse has escaped," Schaffner said, noting that it is "just a matter of time" before the virus is detected in the United States.

"Are there any advantages to these travel restrictions? Well, they can buy us a little time, slow things down in terms of the entry of the virus, but not much," Schaffner added.

For its part, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said that travel restrictions should not be established, stressing that "they are not a long-term solution" when it comes to the management of variants of the coronavirus. .

"Governments are responding to the risks of the new variant of the coronavirus in emergency mode by causing fear among the traveling public," IATA Director General Willie Walsh said in a statement.

"We must use the experience of the last two years as soon as possible to move to a coordinated, data-driven approach that finds safe alternatives to border closures and quarantine."

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