Béla Merkely emphasized that the fourth wave is caused by the delta variant, the Indian mutant, which is much more contagious than the original, the Wuhan virus and even stronger than the British variant. The third vaccine, on the other hand, restores the effectiveness of the vaccines against the British variant of the first two vaccines.
Regarding the increase in the number of infected, he said the number of people in the hospital is more important than the number of cases. Currently, more than 2,000 people are being treated in hospital. The number of hospital admissions is lower than last year at this time, but growing dynamically – drew the attention of the Rector, adding: therefore it must be changed.
Although the number of severe cases requiring ventilator treatment after two vaccinations is extremely rare, the immune system of the elderly is weaker, so they may become more severe – Béla Merkely emphasized the importance of the third vaccination.
He pointed out that when asymptomatic people are screened – for example, who need a PCR test because of travel – typically four to five out of a hundred people will still have a positive coronavirus test. Thus if there are twenty to fifty people in an enclosed event at a larger event, there may be one or two of them who are asymptomatic infected.
According to Béla Merkely, it would be important for as many people as possible to take the first and second vaccinations, to increase the vaccination. With the current vaccination rate of about 62 percent, Hungary is doing well compared to Central and Eastern Europe, but compared to the numbers of Western Europe – for example, Denmark, Norway, France, Spain – the proportion of people vaccinated in Hungary is lagging behind.
The rector, who has so far vaccinated against more than 21,000 coronaviruses, said experts were puzzled by anti-vaccination views. He stressed that in the history of medicine, there was no such effective method of prevention as vaccination. At the current stage of the epidemic, it is safest to take two vaccinations and then six months after the second, he declared.
He also noted that, contrary to earlier opinions, antibody levels do not indicate who will be infected and who will not. “You can’t predict protection or vulnerability in any way,” he said.
Cover image source: MTI / Attila Balázs
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