Covid, Gismondo: “We are moving towards the end of the pandemic, Omicron tells us”

“I believe it is highly probable that it is true that we are at the end of the Covid-19 pandemic”. “There are many signs that we are moving in this direction. Omicron tells us”, a variant of Sars-CoV-2 much more contagious, but considered less ‘bad’, “and therefore we hope that this trend will be confirmed over time”. It is a wish expressed by Maria Rita Gismondo, director of the Laboratory of clinical microbiology, virology and diagnostics of bioemergencies at the Sacco hospital in Milan, who however adds an obligatory clarification: “Obviously, to be sure we have to wait – explains the expert at Adnkronos Salute – because it is always the virus that has the deck of cards in hand. And the virus – she warns – could surprise us even at the last moment “. According to the expert, “in the current conditions the state of emergency is absolutely unjustified” which in Italy has been extended several times and will expire at the end of March. Furthermore, “everything that is being done today” to counter Sars-CoV-2, “in terms of more or less criticizable measures, could be done regardless of the emergency”. “When an emergency is extremely long – underlines the expert at Adnkronos Salute – it is no longer an emergency. It is a serious state of affairs, but still a state of affairs. The emergency – he specifies – serves to respond immediately to an unexpected problem. Today, however, we are in the planning phase “of living with the virus. Will we or will we not do a fourth dose of the anti-Covid vaccine? “I agree with what” the Italian and European drug agencies “Aifa and Ema also said: at the moment there is no evidence that it is necessary. infection “may be justified, but certainly not for the entire population”.