Reopening, Garattini: “Little enthusiasm, the danger has not passed”

The reopening announced by the government, together with the curfew moved immediately to 11 pm and the return of the white zone, “are calculated risks” and “naturally represent a political responsibility”. But “from the scientific point of view, I would be a little less enthusiastic and a little less inclined to consider that everything is going well”. Silvio Garattini, founder and president of the Mario Negri Irccs Pharmacological Research Institute, who spoke at ‘Agorà’ on Rai3 invites us to remember that “the danger has not passed”, that the war against Covid-19 cannot yet be considered won. “Let’s not forget that this virus”, still circulating, “continues to mutate and the mutation can involve the presence of variants that are insensitive to the available vaccines”, the pharmacologist recalls. “We must be very careful – he warns – we must recommend to all those who want to move to keep the mask, not to gather and still be very careful”. Garattini therefore urges to focus on the immunization campaign against Covid-19, because “not let’s forget that we still have to vaccinate 31 million Italians “. “I see an excess of optimism and it is not reasonable, because we are still far behind with vaccinations. There are still 2 million seniors to be vaccinated, let’s try to speed up,” he says. If it is true that we have reached about 30% of the population that has received a dose of vaccine, “at least 50% must be vaccinated to begin to see a slowdown in the circulation of the virus – specifies the scientist – The virus continues to circulate, let’s not forget it. Vaccinations are still far behind – insists Garattini – and we are not yet in a position to guarantee that all doses will be available “.