Covid, Locatelli: “From mid-July via masks”

The risk of reopening was really a reasoned risk and “the numbers speak for themselves: they show that nothing is broken down in the dramatic way that someone had prophesied”. Franco Locatelli, president of the Higher Health Council and coordinator of the technical-scientific committee for the Covid emergency, interviewed by ‘La Stampa’ shows satisfaction with the progress of the coronavirus epidemic in Italy. “He knows that I am always moderate – he said – but this time I claim our approach, with gradual and carefully evaluated reopening. Everyone can draw their own conclusions”, especially seeing that “the number of new admissions to intensive care has dropped to 48, while on 15 May there were more 142. The occupancy of the beds is just over 1,400, under control “. Italy’s strategy, therefore, is proving to be successful. But is it possible to say that we will never go back and never experience a lockdown again? “I can say that it is highly unlikely – replies Locatelli – All the decisions were made in order not to expose us to the risk of having to close. The vaccination campaign makes the difference: we are now in the order of 500 thousand administrations per day; we use 93% of the delivered doses, more than 20 million Italians have received the first dose and more than 10 million are immunized with both or with the Johnson & Johnson single-dose “. So will we be able to take off the mask in 2 months, like Draghi said? “I think we will be able to talk about it in the second half of July, eliminating the obligation only outdoors, or even indoors between people who are vaccinated and not subject to ‘frailty'”, specifies the expert. “But for now we continue to wear the mask,” he recommends. It is also thanks to this protection that “this year we practically did not have to deal with the flu”. Going back to the numbers and objectives of the vaccination campaign, “let’s free ourselves from the concept of herd immunity”, invites the number one of the Css. “Already Anthony Fauci – he remembers – defined it as elusive. Let’s change perspective and think about who we need to protect. The numbers of vaccinated people between over 80 and over 70 are now very high, even if they must be completed with second doses. We must close as much as possible. soon the gap in the age group 60-69 years, where a third has not yet had the first dose, and then we take care of the age group 50-59, in which instead only a third has given the first injection. Italians with more than 50 years, we will have achieved a fundamental objective. “‘Compulsory vaccine? At the moment there are no extremes to discuss it. For Locatelli, that of vaccine resistance is a limited problem: “I believe that among those who have not booked, technical difficulties in accessing computer systems prevail, rather than a real opposition – he observes – However I agree with General Figliuolo’s considerations: the indiscriminate vaccination race is useless, priority must be given to those who risk “more and” only afterwards can we get out of a logic of protection to enter a scheme that takes into account work profiles, corporate organizations, social activities, up to the students “. In fact, “by the end of the month the EMA will evaluate Pfizer’s dossier for the administration of the vaccine to children aged 12 and over” and therefore, “once the green light has arrived and we have secured the population groups at risk, we will be able to leave with the students, so as to ensure safe and face-to-face teaching in the next school year. Immunizing young people is important for them, but also to reduce viral circulation in the country “. On the front, the third dose of vaccine,” is largely It is possible that we will need “to do it,” but it is an issue that will arise no earlier than October “because,” although the observation time is still limited, we can say that the protection ensured by vaccines lasts at least 9-10 months. at the moment, it is a valid horizon for all vaccines in use, while there may be differences in response from person to person – the expert points out – even considering that the antibody titer does not fully reflect the protection achieved: there is a part of immunity linked to the cellular compartment, the so-called T lymphocytes, which is not analyzed by serological tests. I believe that the best evaluation will be based on the detection and timing of any infections in vaccinated subjects. “In a perspective of periodic vaccinations, it makes sense to hypothesize the anti-Covid vaccination obligation as did the head of Civil Protection, Fabrizio Curcio, in an interview with ‘La Stampa?’ “Engineer Curcio also seems to me to have talked about an option to be evaluated for the future – replies the CTS coordinator – At the moment I don’t see the details to discuss it. The current scenario makes no obligation necessary, except for the operators. health, for obvious ethical reasons “. Finally, the hypothesis of the second dose of vaccine on holiday, in a region other than one’s own. “I understand the desire not to interfere in people’s vacation plans, but here I have no doubts: the priority is vaccination – Locatelli warns – I believe that everyone can modulate their holidays based on the appointment set for the first or second dose. . After what we have experienced so far, I think we will all agree that getting vaccinated is important, even in August “.