Delta Italy variant, restrictions and lockdowns? Today the ‘no’ prevails

The delta variant in Italy is worrying, but today confidence in vaccines seems to outweigh the fear of new restrictions or lockdowns in October. Although in Campania the obligation to wear an outdoor mask remains, due to an outbreak of the Indian variant, reassuring messages arrive from experts and also from government representatives. Sileri: “I don’t see lockdowns or red zones” “For the Delta variant we don’t have to worry too much because we know that it does not evade vaccines. Anyone who says that vaccines are not safe for the Delta variant is saying nonsense. Vaccines work for the Delta variant. . We must complete the second doses, go ahead and vaccinate the population as much as possible “, says Undersecretary of Health Pierpaolo Sileri, guest of ‘Timeline’ on Sky Tg24. “There will be a resurgence with an increase in cases – Sileri predicts – because this variant is more widespread than the other, but numbers that come from the United Kingdom, where unfortunately this variant has found an important habitat, show that in the same number of cases with those of the third wave there is no increase in ICU admissions or in the number of deaths. This means that vaccination, even with the first dose, will certainly not give full coverage as with the second, but we are well defended ” . “I don’t think of waves like the ones we saw in October and January-February. And I don’t even see lockdowns or red zones”, Sileri.Ricciardi points out: “Nothing can be excluded but it can be avoided” According to Walter Ricciardi , consultant of the Ministry of Health interviewed by Adnkronos Health, “nothing can be excluded but we can avoid” a new lockdown. “In an epidemic, decisions based on the circulation of the virus must be made. We all want to avoid drastic measures, but nothing can be excluded a priori. The growth of the infection must be avoided. If we move by accelerating vaccinations and wisely, both from the point of behavioral and institutional view, we can certainly avoid it “, says the professor of Hygiene at the Catholic University of Rome. According to what emerges from the new rapid survey conducted by the Higher Institute of Health and the Ministry of Health, together with the regional laboratories and the Bruno Kessler Foundation, in Italy on 22 June the Delta variant had a prevalence of 22.7% and is was identified in 16 Regions and Autonomous Provinces, with a range between 0 and 70.6%. According to experts, the risk of a new wave in autumn cannot be excluded. Bassetti: “Lockdown only for unvaccinated” “We can do what we want, but from August the Delta variant will predominate”, explains Matteo Bassetti to Adnkronos Salute. Head of Infectious Diseases at the San Martino hospital in Genoa, for which “the only way we will have to defend ourselves from the Delta variant will be to have 85% of Italians vaccinated for October 15 with 2 doses”. “If we arrive at October 15 with 85% vaccinated, the Delta variant will make us a mustache, but if we get there with 65% it will be pains – Bassetti points out -. If we have, and I hope not, 30% of unvaccinated Italians means that we will have 16-17 million potentially susceptible people and it is too much. Also because the unvaccinated are distributed in all age categories. Ninety-year-olds “. The solution, however, according to Bassetti, is not a new generalized lockdown. “I believe that we cannot afford closures, it would be too serious – says Bassetti -. It means that we have not made Italians understand how important vaccination is. At that point we will need to further tighten the measures against those who do not vaccinate: Are you not vaccinated? Do not go out. Have you decided not to vaccinate yourself, to put your health at risk, but also that of others? Well, the vaccinated will lead a normal life, the unvaccinated will lock themselves in the house “. “On the other hand – concludes the infectious disease specialist – once I gave you all the possibilities, I explained to you, I brought you the vaccine door to door, on the top of the mountain and you didn’t want to do it, if there are any measures restrictive will obviously concern only the unvaccinated “.Pregliasco:” We do not risk a new lockdown “Also according to Fabrizio Pregliasco” we do not risk a new lockdown in the autumn “. “I really hope that we do not have to go back – says the virologist and professor at the State University of Milan – but eventually we will have to act with precisely surgical closures for contingent geographical situations. The tail blow of the virus will not be a fourth wave”.