Delta Italia variant today, vaccine and red areas: news

The Delta variant of the covid worries Italy and, with the increase in infections in some regions including Campania, the debate among experts is rekindled on the ability of the vaccine to counteract it and on possible remedies such as the establishment of new red zones . Although the Undersecretary of Health, Pierpaolo Sileri, does not rule out the hypothesis that the Green pass must be “reshaped after the first dose of vaccine”, many scientists remain confident that vaccines provide effective protection, especially against the more serious effects of covid. . “It is true that cases are increasing, but hospitalizations and deaths are as before, very low, and this is because the vaccines do work against the variant”, says Matteo Bassetti, director of the San Martino Infectious Diseases Clinic in Genoa. Also according to Sergio Abrignani, immunologist and member of the Scientific Technical Committee, “vaccines work against the Delta variant”. “In addition to the experimental studies, the data from Great Britain confirm this. From a few hundred new infections on average per day, they have grown to 18 thousand. Yet the victims are ‘only’ 20, and I say only with great respect for them. hospitalized in intensive care, precisely because a large part of the population is immunized “, observes in an interview with Corriere della Sera. The virologist of the State University of Milan, Fabrizio Pregliasco, to the microphones of Agorà Estate on Rai3 confirms:” It is very it is likely that the Delta variant “of Sars-CoV-2” will give a blow to the tail in the future, without however causing the troubles “that we have experienced in the previous waves of Covid-19 in terms of hospitalizations, intensive therapy or deaths. According to Pregliasco, after the first dose the protection is “around 30%”, while “with two completed doses the virus can ‘pierce’ the vaccine with respect to the possibility of infection, and therefore the subject can be contagious for others, but it does not have severe forms “. But with the circulation of the Delta variant, is there a risk of new mini lockdowns? “I’m afraid so,” replies Pregliasco. If necessary “we will have to go in a very flexible way, perhaps having to do as in Israel, at times when there may be a slightly wider diffusion and in” specific “territories,” even red areas. This unfortunately is the need “. The one with the pandemic coronavirus “will be a coexistence – specifies the expert – obviously much more civil, given the large amount of vaccines” gradually administered, “but with a progression. The point is not to underestimate a disease that in most cases it is not serious, but for this very reason it spreads and spreads well “. Also taking stock of the situation on covid and Delta variant is Nino Cartabellotta, president of the Gimbe Foundation, who spoke to the microphones of the broadcast ‘L’Italia s’è desta’ on Radio Cusano Campus. “The situation is very favorable on the epidemiological level. The numbers continue to fall, we are in the full descending phase of the epidemic. The disturbing element in this quiet phase is represented by the Delta variant”, on which “we must not be alarmed,” but define the elements of concern. It is a more contagious variant and characterized by a lower vaccine response with a single dose. Tracking and sequencing must increase “. “The third thing – continues Cartabellotta – is an adequate screening of travelers at the borders and the acceleration of coverage with second doses, especially for the over 60s. The ball now passes to the health services which unfortunately have not been adequately strengthened. I’m sorry to note that we always come back to the same critical points, that is the inability, every time the virus lowers its head, to give adequate answers. Prevention is a bit of the weak link in our system. We cannot always use the theory of ‘I hope I’ll get away with it’ “. Walter Ricciardi, consultant to the Minister of Health for the coronavirus emergency and professor of Hygiene at the Catholic University of Rome, launched a specific alarm related to the vaccination campaign:” We need to restore confidence in the vaccine anti-Covid by AstraZeneca, because in fact without this vaccine we will struggle to protect 80% of the population by September-October as Commissioner Figliuolo would like “, says Ric ciardi. “There is a need – he tells Adnkronos Salute – for a great communication activity that makes it clear that the vaccines we have in Italy are all safe and protective and that they must be managed appropriately. The key, even with respect to the Delta variant, is accelerate protection and for this we need all the vaccines we have available “. Of one thing, the Minister of Health Roberto Speranza is certain: “The Delta variant of Sars-CoV-2 is growing throughout Europe. The European agency Ecdc tells us that in all probability it will be prevalent in Europe within a few weeks and therefore also in Italy. And this must push us to be even more careful, to continue contact tracing, to continue tracing, to invest in sequencing and to continue to respect those essential rules that have allowed us to bend the curve in so many seasons ” .