Covid, how to defend yourself from contagion if the measures are loosened completely

With the reopening decree approved unanimously by the Council of Ministers, also in Italy from 31 March, the state of emergency ends and the latest anti-Covid restrictions are in fact progressively abolished.

However, precisely in this period, we are witnessing a new increase in infections, even in our country. According to the regional director for Europe of the World Health Organization Hans Klugethis situation would be due to the fact that the measures, in Italy and other European countries, including France, Germany and the United Kingdom, were too brutally revoked compared to a sharp increase in cases related to the sub variant BA.2 of Omicron.

In this scenario, therefore, it is legitimate to be suspended between the desire to finally return to normalleaving behind restrictions and prohibitions, e sense of prudence and responsibility. But what are the behaviors which will still be worthwhile to keep for defend ourselves from contagion? When will also be suspended the obligation of the mask indoors (currently scheduled for May), will it still be important to continue wearing it or do you risk psychosis?

To understand what awaits us in the futurewe asked some questions to Professor Fabrizio Pregliasco, virologist of the University of Milan and Health Director of the IRCCS Galeazzi of Milan.

Professor, infections have started to rise again in Europe. Was it the fault that security measures were dropped too abruptly?

“The increase in infections has several causes. The first is the increasingly dominant presence of Omicron 2 which has a even higher contagiousness to that of Omicron. Let’s talk about a more contagious virus than measles and chickenpox to understand and this represented a somewhat unexpected element. Another factor that has contributed to the increase in infections is the thermal changes: even if we are now in spring, it goes from 4 degrees in the morning to 21 in the evening and this greatly facilitates the respiratory viruses. This variant also is circulating a lot among children that in the 5-11 age group only 30% or a little more are vaccinated. And then surely a certain relaxation on the part of all contributed, beyond the political decisions themselves. We must remember that Omicron 2 is certainly less bad in terms of severe cases but it is not quite “cold” as some claim. Fortunately, the severe effects are limited, partly because it’s a less aggressive variant and partly because many are vaccinated. In fact, the vaccine, which in many cases fails to dodge the infection, still proves in statistical terms to be effective in avoiding serious cases ».

Contagions due to Omicron BA.2 are on the rise but can we speak of a fifth wave?

“No. Rather, it is a stop in the fall of the curve due to the greater diffusive capacity of the sub-variant. Fortunately indeed mortality and hospitalization data are not increasing in proportion, as happened in previous waves. At this moment we can say that we are managing a phase in which we are only trying to mitigate the spread, that is to say slow down the rate at which people fall ill. In the world, various strategies have been adopted to deal with Covid: China has focused on zero infections but has not made it and continues with lockdowns. Brazil, India and Eastern Europe have more or less let the virus run and are now picking up the pieces of this choice. Europe, America and Canada instead, immediately after the first wave, have, in a different way, followed an approach aimed not at stopping the disease but at mitigating it, carrying out choices, sometimes contested, such as the Green Pass in Italy, which would allow to go on and not to close “.