Delta variant, Pregliasco: “Worry, underestimated by us”

The Delta variant of Sars-CoV-2, better known as the Indian variant, which is causing the number of infections in the United Kingdom to soar again, “is worrying, even for the outbreak in Milan where a vaccine was hit”. The virologist Fabrizio Pregliasco, professor at the State University of Milan, says this to Adnkronos Salute. Indeed, the ability of the variant to partially ‘pierce’ the vaccine is arousing more fears. “From the English assessments, there is still a protection from the disease of 80% after the first dose and 95% after the second – explains Pregliasco – so it is important to perform both doses and do it quickly”. However, the Delta variant “breaks the vaccine a bit, so the coexistence is still a bit heavy with serious cases”, he underlines. The Delta variant of the pandemic coronavirus in Italy is already circulating. “The figure so far is low, but it is probably underestimated”, warns Pregliasco: “Now we should be more careful”. The risk, “as I said from the beginning – he remembers – is that in the autumn there will be a rise in infections, a blow to the tail of the virus”. As for a possible restriction on travel for those arriving from England, hypothesized by Prime Minister Draghi, “it would be important – he affirms – also to reiterate that this freeing all of the white zone must not make us let our guard down”. Then the masks. “In France, the obligation to wear outdoor masks from June 30th? We are still waiting a moment for an evaluation. We see the end of July as a goal to remove them outdoors” says Pregliasco.