A bell for the possible appearance of new mutations of the coronavirus, after Omicron and Omicron 2, rang the professor of Pathology of EKPA, Sotiris Tsiodras, at an event of EKPA for the development of Covid-19 disease held at the Medical School of the University of Athens.
Citing the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine as an example, which he said could affect the pandemic, he said: “Africa has been the birthplace of new executives. “The vaccination situation and the spread in a population is very important for the emergence of new variants”, he stated characteristically.
The professor of Epidemiology, Pagona Lagiou, moved in the same direction, pointing out that the new variants are still possible due to the war in Ukraine. “Regarding a new variant, this is not ruled out. It may arise from the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, with migratory flows to Europe and even in populations that do not have high vaccination rates. “In China, too, we are seeing an increase in dispersion again, and this is indicative, because there is a large population there.”
For his part, the president of EODY, Theoklis Zaoutis, made special reference to the new Omicron variant and the Omicron 2 sub-variant, which tends to dominate in our country.
“Omicron 2 has brought a new wave or ripple, if you will, which is reflected in an increase in cases,” he underlined.
He added that “this is partly due to the Omicron 2 mutation, which is superior to the Omicron because it is more contagious, although it looks like the first strain in morbidity. The hospitalizations remain stable, however, in the last few days we have had a small increase. We know that Micron has a lower risk of hospitalization, intubation and death. “We believe that we will be on a plate in the coming days in terms of cases”, he stressed.
Respectively, Mr. Tsiodras stated that the hospitalizations even with Omicron are not negligible, due to the large number of cases: “Great Britain counts 100 thousand hospitalizations today. “Omicron is not negligible, it leads to hospitalizations”, he pointed out.
Lifting measures
Regarding the lifting of measures in our country, Mr. Zaoutis said that we will gradually stop considering the number of cases as a reliable indicator, as the Omicron variant has brought new data.
“We will slowly leave the index of the number of cases. We will slowly focus our surveillance on the hard indicators: hospitalizations, intubation and deaths. Testing has changed worldwide and especially in Europe. Fewer tests are performed and focus on high-risk groups. Cases will not be an indicator of a pandemic. We will also follow the instructions of the ECDC. “We will control the vulnerable and the elderly in nursing homes,” he said.
“According to international trends, the vaccine is the most basic protection measure. At Christmas we were protected by vaccinations and in schools we have a low number of cases. “Measures such as the use of a mask protect us and we should not abandon them yet”, said the professor, Mr. Paraskevi.
For his part, Mr. Tsiodras stressed that “the catalyst for the lifting of measures in the future, as well as for the abolition of vaccination certificates, will be the epidemiological data.”
In turn, the professor of Pediatrics, Mariza Tsolia, said that “for sure in the fall we may not have masks in schools, but until then we will not avoid them.”
Follow Skai.gr on Google News
and be the first to know all the news
I have worked in the news industry for over 10 years. I have a vast amount of experience in covering health news. I am also an author at News Bulletin 247. I am highly experienced and knowledgeable in this field. I am a hard worker and always deliver quality work. I am a reliable source of information and always provide accurate information.
