Quarantines by Covid: the protocol does not oblige; responsibility to curb contagion, yes

• Transmission Balearic Islands, Galicia and Extremadura concentrate the highest number of infections by the new variants BA.4 and BA.5

• Data Hospitalizations for Covid continue to skyrocket and double the figures for June

• Measures Darias joins other autonomies and recommends wearing masks again against Covid in closed spaces

If at this point in the film we write about Covid again and you read it, it is because things are not as good as they should be.

The latest Health report for this Friday, July 8, reflected a 14-day cumulative incidence (AI) of 1,225.28 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in those over 60 years of age, the worst data since February (when ómicron hit us hard) that It brings us closer to the red traffic light of the current moment (1,500 cases; in previous moments of the pandemic this red traffic light was reached with 150 cases).

Since Health began to apply the new

on March 28 , which focuses its attention on the most vulnerable, only the AI ​​of those over 60 years of age is registered, so it is difficult to know the real scope of this seventh wave in which there are obviously many people under the age of 60 who are infected.

Although for this reason the figures are not exactly comparable, the truth is that in absolute terms on July 8 of last year the AI ​​at 14 days (registered in the entire population, not just those over 60 years of age) was 277.90 (almost 4.5 times less).

If we only look at this year with those over 60, it is the first time that the 1,000 barrier has been exceeded.

If we look at hospitalizations, this Friday's report collected 12,080 admitted by Covid (including those in the ICU), the highest figure since February 15 in the middle of the sixth wave by omicron (11,438) and more than four times more than the 8 July 2021 (2,916).

So far the data.

However,

.

The

this : full capacity in mass events, non-compulsory masks outdoors and since April indoors and, without giving specific names so that no one is offended, various popular festivals celebrated throughout the national territory - outdoors, yes, but with a massive public that has not even remotely kept a meter and a half away.

The unpopular experts in Public Health, the bad guys in the movie who always tell us what we shouldn't do, continue to appeal to non-pharmacological measures and common sense.

People are not being asked not to leave the house, but we have gone from one extreme to another: from those draconian measures (although necessary) to not keeping a minimum of care.

“We have gone from acting as balcony policemen, when people insulted and threw things out the window at those who went out in confinement or those who were not wearing a mask were watched, to now looking badly at those who are wearing it, as if to say ‘it must be An apprehensive person must be hysterical,' says Óscar Zurriaga, vice president of the Spanish Society of Epidemiology (SEE).

"People are still dying every day"

Zurriaga, who is also a full professor at the University of Valencia, blames it on the weariness of these almost two and a half years.

"Everyone has this feeling of fatigue, of wanting this to end once and for all, and no one wants to continue with the measures, they think they are nonsense, when really nothing has changed in the worst part. It is true that now the cases are much milder, but a lot of people are still dying every day.

The specialist explains that while it is true that many of these deceased have many comorbidities (other pathologies) and that the coronavirus or another similar microorganism can completely unbalance them, "there is no need when we know and are tired of repeating it and people are tired of hearing it with very little that we do, nothing that we haven't done these last two years, we can protect those vulnerable people. The mask that we can wear in a closed place we are not only wearing it for us; in fact, we will wear it more likely to protect others. other people who could develop a more serious condition.

Because all of us, Zurriaga emphasizes,

.

A grandfather, the father of a friend or that neighbor that we passed in the elevator.

"Let's be respectful, especially with others. If one wants to take risks, then great, like the one who parachutes, does base flight and dives in apnea (although that is buying more numbers in the lottery), but let the one who does not want Well, this is the same, let us respect the circumstances that many times we do not know, if that person is vulnerable or simply afraid, because two years ago we were all very afraid and we toilets took off our clothes at the door of the house, which seems that this is already from the Pleistocene and we don't remember".

Masks and third dose

In that sense, Zurriaga

.

"There are many people who, under pressure because they are looked at badly, do not feel good wearing the mask, but the message has to be

and that you is for those vulnerable that we all have. in our environment".

Another aspect that the vice president of the SEE insists on is the

.

"Those who said 'well, since this is going downhill I don't wear it anymore', now is a good time to check that the virus is still very present among us and put it on because until the second dose we have a very high percentage in Spain, but in the third dose we are below 50% in certain age groups.

, which will protect us even more. "

Despite prevention, Zurriaga highlights the

.

"We do not have an idea, we must be aware of the speed at which it is being transmitted. It is like lighting a fuse.

. We are talking about a microorganism that already has a reproduction number above that of measles, which until now was what we considered the maximum limit, the most transmissible. Its reproductive number above 10 means that a person infects 10 people or more and That is tremendous, that is why we are like this, everyone now has in their environment more or less close to someone who has tested positive.

The expert refers to the second generation variants based on the BA.1, BA.2, BA.3, BA.4 and BA.5 sublineages of omicron.

Specifically,

.

Just out of India (it was detected for the first time in early June), in that country it already accounts for 18% of infections and is spreading at the speed of light (the WHO suspects that it may already be in 10 countries).

It might also have more ability to escape vaccines.

This is how things are when you have to appeal to responsibility.

"Unfortunately

matter, 'if he has a cold, nothing happens'. And now he is acting like this," says Zurriaga.

Let's imagine a day in April 2018, when the Covid was neither there nor was it expected.

A worker goes to his position like every day;

he has slight congestion, sneezing and a runny nose: a textbook cold.

At that time no one saw bad that that person went to work, on the contrary.

After a pandemic like the one we have experienced, it is assumed that we should have learned something about the importance of prevention in infectious diseases, but seeing the evolution of this seventh wave, nobody would say.

Given the lesser severity of the cases and as

, there are many people who with mild symptoms put on a mask and go shopping, something we would not do , for example, if we had measles.

Under the excuse that 'it has been two years that we have been robbed' or that 'we must take advantage of it in case another pandemic arrives tomorrow', some people are unable to stay at home or test positive for Covid, something that

.

"Nothing has really changed, the only thing that has changed is the obligation.

, it is something we would do in any disease. This is not a cold and it is possible that, although we have a mild time, we are infecting people who may be vulnerable and who may end up in a very serious situation," says Zurriaga.

What to do if you have symptoms or are positive

The vice president of the SEE gives some

so that we can enjoy the summer, also thinking of others.

"Given the transmissibility of the virus at the present time, it is better

. Beware of the symptoms, which can be confused with other things, such as pharyngitis now in summer due to air conditioners. Let's

"This is through the air";

. And if it comes out negative, but we have symptoms, let's repeat it a day or two later in case the infection is evolving. "

In case of testing positive, contacts must be restricted

, "you cannot continue to function around the world as if nothing were happening because with such a high transmissibility it is about protecting people who can have a really bad time if they get infected. In addition, The Health protocol does not mark it as mandatory, but it does say that those people with symptoms or positive should restrict contacts as much as possible," says Zurriaga.

To be exact, the protocol reads: "

, constantly using the mask and maintaining adequate hand hygiene

".

The specialist points out that

.

"That is to say, a person who is at home should have a bathroom for himself, whenever possible and his circumstances allow it. Or leave the tray at the door with the food, which many may see as exaggerated, but the virus has not changed the way it infects, on the contrary, it has more contagious capacity, so

," Zurriaga concludes.

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