Next week, the restrictions related to, among others, with wearing masks. According to prof. Guta, lifting them or maintaining the restrictions is of no great importance, because they were not respected in our country. “I always say that it’s not variants or sub-variants that are dangerous, but people’s behavior,” says the virologist.
- Currently, in Poland, the requirement to cover the mouth and nose in closed rooms is still in force. This obligation is expected to end next week
- Many specialists warn against lifting the order in the face of new infections with Omicron’s BA.2 sub-variant
- “The virus itself is a dead particle, it can’t be more infectious until it enters the body.” It is people’s behavior that is more or less contagious. Therefore, the decisive factor is the appropriate distance and isolation. Because the virus variant is contagious when people do not follow the rules, believes Prof. Gut
- The virologist warns, however, that the epidemic situation may develop in our country just like in Germany. “I expect more infections and more deaths,” he says
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Prof. Gut reminds that it is not so much the new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that are dangerous, as the behavior of people who do not follow epidemic rules. «The virus itself is a dead particle, it can’t be more infectious until it enters the body. It is people’s behavior that is more or less contagious. Therefore, the decisive factor is the appropriate distance and isolation. Because the virus variant is contagious when people do not follow the rules »- notes the virologist.
PAP: We expect the epidemic restrictions on wearing masks, quarantine and isolation to be lifted soon. At the same time, the more infectious sub-variant of Omikron BA.2 is spreading all over the world in Asia, Africa, the USA and Europe. How can a pandemic continue?
Prof. Włodzimierz Gut: In Poland, it can be similar to in Germany.
So we can expect more SARS-CoV-2 infections?
As well as more deaths. Unfortunately.
Observations so far show that the new Omicron sub-variants, such as BA.1 and BA.2, are more infectious, but less virulent.
Sub-variants? I always say that it is not variants or sub-variants that are dangerous, but people’s behavior. An example is Germany – there were great anti-war demonstrations, and then there was an increase in infections.
It is similar in other European countries. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), infections are again increasing in the UK, Ireland, France, Italy, Greece and Cyprus. One of the reasons is lifting the restrictions too quickly.
Yes, infections are increasing in many places around the world, there is even talk of another wave of infections. I do not give which one in turn, because it depends on who counts them.
The infectivity of the Omicron does not matter much?
No, I will repeat it again – people’s behavior is decisive. The virus itself is a dead particle, it can’t be more infectious until it enters the body. It is people’s behavior that is more or less contagious. Therefore, the decisive factor is the appropriate distance and isolation. Because the virus variant is contagious when people don’t follow the rules.
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And the COVID-19 vaccine?
The vaccine does not protect against infection, it only prepares for possible infection. Only the wall protects against infection.
For now, however, the number of hospitalizations due to COVID-19 is falling in our country. This is good news. Could this change soon?
Fortunately, this is unlikely to occur as a large proportion of our population is prepared to be infected. The problem concerns not hospitality, but people, individual people who have adopted this and not another concept and prefer to be sick.
We are increasingly underestimating COVID-19, we are starting to treat the common cold as usual.
Yes, many people don’t know the difference, they think it’s the flu. And the flu virus is a completely different pathogen than SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, the basic mistake these people make is that not the disease itself is the worst, but the consequences are much worse.
It seems to pass, but sometimes it takes a while, or there may be distant complications?
In the case of SARS, long-term complications have occurred even within three years. But only 8 fell ill with this disease. people in the world.
In the case of COVID-19, long-term complications can also arise after three years or even later?
SARS was more deadly, so it could be even worse.
Worse?
Yes, because it is in the case of mild courses that you have to take into account late complications.
The mild course of COVID-19 may, contrary to appearances, bode badly?
It’s even more likely.
This means that those who have undergone mild disease have to reckon with late complications more?
Unfortunately, it may look like that. We will see, there is still an ongoing evaluation of the late effects of COVID-19.
Meanwhile, the Omikron BA.2 sub-variant is spreading more and more.
The next variant after him will also spread. Because the more people escape from the system of detecting the infected, isolating them and quarantining those who came into contact with them, the faster a given variant will spread in the population. Many people escape this system, as evidenced by a significant percentage of positive results from the pool of respondents for the presence of SARS-CoV-2. There should be no more than 10 percent of them.
And what about our population resistance, it is weakening and is still insufficient?
First of all, it should be remembered that population immunity is resistance to disease, not to infection. Infection resistance can be achieved, albeit to a limited extent, by a local response on the epithelium. This, however, is not induced by the vaccine (so far used against SARS-CoV-2 – PAP). The infection itself or a different type of vaccine can do it, but there is no one.
But even then, it’s not 100 percent. protection against infection?
There isn’t, because it’s not like you get a high density of secretory antibodies that will catch everything, it’s just a reduction in the likelihood of infection. Anyway, after vaccination, a person may not even spread the infection, because he is so strongly prepared that the development of the infection is inhibited, because there are no symptoms of the disease and the virus does not leave the body. Or, the time it takes to infect others is shortened. This is what it is all about.
Better not to put up with epidemic restrictions, for example using protective masks indoors?
Let me put it this way: I am fully vaccinated and besides, I have had COVID-19 and have local immunity.
And from the social point of view?
The restrictions were not complied with to a large extent anyway.
Is the lifting of restrictions or their maintenance of little importance in this situation?
Exactly.
What should I do, get vaccinated or take a booster dose if someone has not already done so?
We do not have a live, attenuated vaccine (with significantly reduced pathogenicity – PAP). What we have (against COVID-19 – PAP) is a one-time production of a specific protein in the body. An example is the tick-borne encephalitis vaccine: we take one dose, then a second dose, a third dose after a year, another dose after five years, and a new dose every five years.
In the case of COVID-19, we do not yet have such a strictly defined schedule for the use of individual doses of the vaccine.
It is not yet possible, the observation period is too short. How do we know how to use the next doses – after two years, after three or five. However, you have to take into account that you will need to take booster doses from time to time. Much depends on the individual answer. Some people will probably need two doses for several years, and for others – only for several months.
- See also: Why did COVID-19 attack China again? There are two main reasons
Vaccination has recently started in the UK with a fourth dose of seniors aged 75 and over with immunosuppressed or comorbid conditions.
For people in this age group, it is similar to children up to two years of age who do not have developed immunity. In turn, people over 60 show a reduction in the immune response, at this age it is already weakened.
The privilege of old age …
Unfortunately, these people already have an “worn out” body and in them the induction of immune response is not as high as in younger people. However, it must be remembered that each of us is an individual, with various ailments.
Therefore, it is necessary to measure the level of antibodies from time to time and take subsequent doses of the vaccine depending on it?
It is not a good measure in this case.
Why? Are not only antibodies important?
The most important thing is immune memory and cellular immunity. It will destroy the cells before they produce viruses that can infect others. The antibodies bind to the virus that has already escaped from the cells in the body it attacked.
We may have low levels of antibodies, but there is still immune memory and cellular immunity?
Yes, they are more protected and less likely to be infected by others than those who have high levels of antibodies but do not have these first steps.
Still, the talk is almost exclusively about antibodies.
Yes, because it works like this: why are you pouring raspberry juice on my head? Answer: because that’s the only one we have. This is a generally available method of measuring resistance and well standardized. Although not completely, because no one is able to say what level of antibodies protects us.
What about the fourth dose? Who should take it?
It depends, at least – it won’t hurt anyone.
So when should it be recommended?
Then when the number of patients vaccinated with three doses starts to increase. This is the rule.
So we have to get used to COVID-19, will it occur like flu and colds?
It is impossible to avoid something that has spread all over the world anymore. Especially since vaccination does not protect against infection in a person with a normal immune response, it only shortens the time of virus excretion, sometimes even to zero.
China will manage to maintain its “zero tolerance” strategy of introducing a lockdown as soon as an epidemic outbreaks? The more contagious variant of Omikron is also spreading in the Middle Kingdom.
It all depends on people’s behavior. An example is the Delta, which spread beautifully in Europe, but in Japan “surrendered” as soon as greater restrictions were introduced. The virus is spreading in any population that does not follow epidemic rules.
It is spring and summer is approaching, we are outside more often. We can expect the same as in the previous two years – the number of infections will drop soon?
In the forest, the virus will not catch us, but at parties and in stores – it will. Please remember how it was with the outbreak of the pandemic: Poland introduced restrictions at an early stage and for a long time we could enjoy a low level of stabilization. Others introduced restrictions during the strong growth phase, and the restrictions only take effect after one or two weeks.
Interviewed by Zbigniew Wojtasiński (PAP).
See also:
- Thrombosis following AstraZeneki vaccine. New research reveals why
- The Chinese were furious with the restrictions. «Companies want us to vaccinate»
- Israel: R soared, new infections rising. Why?