‘We’ve peaked, we’re out of the epidemic’

Omicron variant in Puglia and Italy. Pier Luigi Lopalco repeats His beliefs about infections He also makes predictions for the next few months: “I think we hit the peak of the pandemic after Befana, and we’re coming out of it, I really think so. Like that next month there won’t be more,” he commented on the mics for “Lamb Day” on Ray Radio 1.

Then the former regional health adviser added: “I don’t want to give an overly optimistic forecast but I think that in the spring we will be able to deal with a new situation, where the population is heavily vaccinated or in contact with the virus.” A position very close to that of the director of infectious diseases at the San Martino Hospital in Genoa, Matteo Bassetti, according to which in early spring, Italy will have achieved herd immunity.

According to Lopalco, at that point there will also be margins to limit the use of protective devices: “Take off the masks too? As a trend, yes, but we always have to wait for the data.”

Only today, Puglia recorded the highest number of daily infections (over 12,400), even if a continuous recount of a few days of antigen swabs conducted since January 1 makes it difficult to understand whether in recent days the daily data has produced even larger numbers. However, Lopalco is convinced that the extreme point of the curve has been reached: “We must continue to integrate the data until the end of the month, but the peak, which is intended to be the extreme point of the epidemic curve, I think has been reached,” he said yesterday in ‘Adnkronos Health .

In the same news agency, the epidemiologist also said of quarantine protocols and control swabs: “Adjustments are not enough. I am convinced that we must review all quarantine and isolation rules related to Covid. The scenario has changed profoundly, we cannot use the same indications. Today we We are dealing with a different virus. Now Omicron is the variant that is spreading in our country. And we have 90% of the population vaccinated. We cannot ignore these two elements. We apply the same rules, just modified, that we applied when trading the alpha or delta variant, in a less vaccinated community. much.”

He added, “Only by making ‘adjustments’, we risk doing more harm, with the rules, than benefits to public health. For example: Can we finally avoid taking the swab from quarantine? This indicator overburdens the molecular testing system. For unhealthy purposes, if we do it, we know it’s of little use.The Public Health Authority tells us that with two or three doses of the vaccine, while still following trivial precautionary rules, such as not visiting people with compromised immunity if you have contact or symptoms You can live freely. You are not a prisoner at home waiting for testimony.”

According to Lopalco, the endemic phase is now looming upon us, so a change of management is needed: “We must move completely towards endemic management of the virus. This is because: first, the citizen becomes responsible, second, “All healthcare is unbureaucratic.” Right now, our local health authorities are dying of bureaucracy in quarantine, isolation, confinement and return. This was an administration that would have been fine when the outbreak had to be stopped, today it is no longer good and the virus is endemic.”