Closing borders to contain the spread of the new omicron variant of the coronavirus is ineffective and can be considered racist, assess US experts consulted by sheet.
The new strain was considered to be of very high risk by the WHO (World Health Organization), as it may be more contagious than the previous ones, but the data to prove this is still being obtained and analyzed.
“The African travel ban is a racist reaction, not based on science or biology. It’s morally repugnant,” says Mark Schleiss, a researcher at the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Molecular Virology.
Countries like Brazil and the United States have adopted vetoes for travelers from African nations who reported cases of the new variant. The ban took effect this week, and new restrictive measures are under debate by several governments.
Scheiss points out that there is no evidence that the omicron variant appeared in Africa and that there are already records that it circulated in Europe even before the announcement made by South Africa last week. “We see a repeat of the case of the 1918 flu, which became known as ‘Spanish’ because Spain was the first country to be transparent about it”, he compares. Researchers now consider that infection arose in the US.
“Closing borders rarely works the way people imagine and often has negative consequences for countries that report cases, so the measure should be used very carefully,” says Andy Pekosz, a virologist at Johns Hopkins University.
“We have to be more focused on testing, tracking contacts, sequencing [o material genético] of viruses, identify infected people and quarantine them. These are much more effective ways than closing borders,” suggests Pekosz.
“We want countries to monitor variants and share information as quickly as possible. And gestures like banning travel really discourage that and are not effective in preventing transmission already underway,” says Aubree Gordon, professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan. “It is clear that the variant has already spread to many parts of the world.”
Experts believe that the governments of developed countries should help to expand vaccination in African countries, in order to curb the circulation of the virus and thus reduce the chance of the emergence of new variants. The immunization rate in Africa is around 7% of the population, while the global average is 42.7%. In Brazil, 63% are fully vaccinated.
“It’s simply biology. For new variants to emerge, the virus needs to circulate. The best way to stop the creation of new variants is to stop the infections in the first place. If everyone is fully immunized, there will be a drop in virus circulation and in the generation of variants”, explains Schleiss.
“There were a lot of experts talking about vaccine inequality since the beginning of the year, and what have countries done?” asks the researcher. “What happens to a child in Botswana impacts what can happen to my children”
“We cannot just give 100,000 doses to a country with 5 million people. We have to give enough vaccines to make a difference”, defends Pekosz. It is also necessary to help the poorest countries to create structures to distribute immunization agents. RNA vaccines, such as Pfizer’s, need to be kept refrigerated, which creates extra difficulties.
Experts explain that it is still necessary to wait for clearer data to be sure whether this variant will actually be more dangerous and that this information will have to be obtained within a period of between one and three weeks. “The most important data will be how fast the virus is able to spread. If it transmits little, it will generate less concern for us”, considers Pekosz.
“There are two types of data under analysis: those coming from humans and those from the laboratory. In the human part, we need to see if the virus is transmitted quickly between people, if it can reach people who have already been immunized or who had the disease before , and at what intensity. And, in the laboratory, tests will be carried out with the virus to see if vaccines and current medicines can neutralize it, and at what level”, explains Gordon.
Even if the vaccines are less effective against the virus, they can be modified to be used against the new variant: the same structure can be maintained, and the virus model in use can be changed.
“It will be very easy to change vaccines to focus on the omicron variant and mass produce them. The point is that countries and regulatory agencies need to understand that we already do this with other viruses, such as influenza, and that it won’t be I have to go through a whole process of clinical trials right from the start,” points out Pekosz.
Scheiss, who is also a pediatrician, points out that there is still no data to show whether omicrons can affect children more intensely. Vaccination for children under 12 years of age has not yet been released in most countries, including Brazil.
Anvisa is analyzing an application for authorization from Pfizer to apply the immunizing agent to children over five years old, as it was released in the US. The company also intends to ask for authorization to vaccinate children aged six months and over.
While answers are being sought, scientists believe that the most important step is to advance vaccination for people who have not yet taken it. “Wearing a mask also remains highly recommended. And you need to pay attention to local conditions. If the number of cases goes up too high, you should reduce the interactions you have, especially risky interactions like meeting in open spaces instead of closed spaces , for example. Small changes in people’s behavior can make a big difference in the course of a pandemic,” suggests Gordon.
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