Omicron variant, Bassetti: “Flu-like lethality”

“I look at the data from South Africa: lethality in the first wave was 2.5%, in the second wave 4%, in the third wave 2% and in this wave linked to the Omicron variant it is 0.23%. a lethality very close to that which characterized the flu before the arrival of the covid “. Professor Matteo Bassetti, director of the infectious disease clinic of the San Martino polyclinic in Genoa, thus expresses himself on the management of the covid emergency and in particular on the risks associated with the Omicron variant. “These are data that must be confirmed, but the clinical picture appears less severe. We have the contagiousness of a respiratory virus similar to that of measles, a respiratory disease that spreads with this speed is not so problematic for lethality as because in a very short period risks affecting the stability of the social system “, he tells Agorà referring to the repercussions on the hospital system. The control room scheduled for Thursday 23 December could enact new restrictions to stem the infections. “We are thinking about the wave that we saw starting 4-5 weeks ago. This too has a rise, a peak, a plateau and a descent. It seems clear to me that the Omicron variant is becoming dominant in several countries, the same will happen from we “, says Bassetti.” We have a very different photograph in the hospital compared to December 2020. Many vaccinated have a simple positive swab that are cataloged as covid patients, because in Italy we have not differentiated between those who are positive and who are in hospital with a broken leg compared to those in intensive care with pneumonia. We should distinguish those who have Sars-cov-2 pneumonia from those who are only positive, we would have different numbers “, he says again. In Italy” there are 6 million people who do not they will never get vaccinated, it is useless to try to convince them. The only solution is the obligation, the state must decide if it can allow 6 million unvaccinated. Can we do it? Well. Can’t we afford them? there is. “The category that gives more problems is those between 40 and 60, who suffer from Superman syndrome. They think nothing will happen to them, they are reluctant to vaccinate, they think the world is made up of bad guys who want to vaccinate them.” right to give space to no vax in the media? “When it comes to medicine there is no level playing field. We are not talking about politics, in which the minority must be represented. If a person who talks about 5G in vaccines goes on TV, it is not information. It is not a service to citizens. some television broadcasts have failed to send a message and have contributed to radicalizing positions “.