Covid Italia, Ricciardi: “Catastrophic January with a mix of variants”

“I am concerned about the combination of the Delta, Delta plus and Omicron variants that will produce a catastrophic January. The simultaneous presence of such contagious variants puts us in a period in which the contagion curve will be exponential and the pressure on health systems will be very strong. Unfortunately, the number of dead will increase significantly “. Walter Ricciardi, full professor of Hygiene at the Catholic University and consultant to the Minister of Health Roberto Speranza, says this to Adnkronos Health. therefore cause for immediate concern “. The effectiveness of rapid tampons is discussed. “We have always known that rapid swabs have a high percentage of false negatives. But they remain, even with Omicron, the first defense in the sense that their specificity still remains quite high, in the sense that if one is positive for the rapid swab almost always it is molecular “, Ricciardi says. The rapid swab, therefore,” as a first investigation is still good. However, it is not good for the Green pass and for the exit from quarantine “, he adds. Chapter vaccination obligation: a one-off fine of one hundred euros for non-vaccinated people over 50 “represents an inadequate sanction, it does not act as a deterrent. To do so it should be significant”. According to the expert, the foreseen fine “is insufficient. There are much heavier penalties for violations that are not as emergency as the pandemic. For a vaccination that helps save lives, it is not enough”.