This proposal appeared in the media from all over the worldwhich entitled “Europe debates the covid-19 & rdquor; flu, but many epidemiologists and public health experts remain skeptical on the possibilities of implementing the system in the short term: “We have not even come close to this point & rdquor ;, he tells Verificat Jeffrey Lazarus, head of the Health Systems Research Group at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) and associate professor at the University of Barcelona (UB). “We are always late for new variants and if there is a new one that can escape the vaccine, even in part, the consequences can be devastating. That is why you have to prepare even if there are few cases, ”says the expert.
by him pas Joan Caylàmember of the Spanish Society of Epidemiology (SEP) and coordinator of the Foundation for the Barcelona Tuberculosis Research Unit (fuiTB): “The pandemic should not be underestimated. Even the Ministry of Health says that There are on average 100 deaths per day. We normalize an astronomical number of daily deaths. ”
Before fleeing the flu pandemic, Caylá insists epidemiological surveillance needs to be improved. “Some autonomous communities do not collect the data well, and those who are positive through self-diagnosis tests should be registered in the clinical and public health records,” he points out.
In turn, Lazarus believes that there is still “Public health measures that have not been taken, such as improving ventilation or requiring the covid certificate & rdquor; in some communities. “I mean, there are still things that can be done before he infects the population, “he concludes.
The World Health Organization also insists on applying the brakes. Although nowadays social networks and the media are filled with articles in which the WHO apparently stated that it “Probably the end of the pandemic in Europe after omicron“, the official statement does not indicate such a thing. Instead, the WHO’s Regional Director for Europe, Hans Kluge, pointed out that we could possibly enter a “new phase of the pandemic & rdquor ;, but “it is still too early to wait for us & rdquor ;.
Tedros Adhanom, Director of WHO, recalled in another statement that “like other previous variants, ómicron still causes hospitalizations and deaths & rdquor ;, and this thoughappears to be less severe compared to delta, especially in vaccinated, does not mean that it should be categorized as ‘soft’ & rdquor ;. Remember that the tsunami of affairs is so great and rapid, “that is collapsing health systems around the world & rdquor;, which gives rise to “deaths that could have been prevented, not only as a result of covid-19, but also as a result of other diseases and accidents where patients could not be treated in time & rdquor ;.
Over the aftermath of covid-19 compared to flu a recent study published in PLOS Medicine, after analyzing the data from 270 000 patients with covid-19 and another 115 000 with influenza, determined that although the latter can cause prolonged physical and psychological symptoms For months after infection, those affected by covid-19 are more likely to suffer from these long-term effects.
Reference-www.elperiodico.com