Then we’ll get through that summer unscathed. And after the summer it is no longer relevant to focus on the contamination figures. Vaccination has then essentially changed the corona situation, says Diavatopoulos. “If you are vaccinated, you can still become infected with the corona virus, but the chance that you will end up in hospital or die as a result is minimal. Then the care will no longer be overloaded.”
We will probably not see a situation like last winter in hospitals with a high vaccination rate, Diavatopoulos continues. And we also accept having an infection without serious illness or death in other diseases. “The goal is not zero infections. Infections can remain. The goal is to prevent death and serious illness.”
We are now in a transition phase, he says. “At a stage where we see a potentially deadly disease that is largely under control. We are finally getting to the flu virus level where we are also vigilant.”
Watchful, but positive
Three risks remain in the ‘new corona society’: clusters of infections, the uncertainty surrounding lung covid and new virus variants. “Not everyone is vaccinated. There are still gaps,” says Baidjoe. “In the Bible Belt or in neighborhoods with a lower socio-economic level, the vaccination rate is lower. There can then be clusters of infections and the risks are present. These people can still end up in hospital.”
We also don’t know enough about the long-term consequences of corona, says Baidjoe. “We should not underestimate the secondary symptoms of lung covid. We need to do more research on that and we have to take it seriously.”
And there remains uncertainty due to new variants. “If variants arise that prevent the vaccines from working, it will become risky again. But for now I am positive. Vigilant, but positive. The signs for the effectiveness of the vaccines are simply very favorable,” says Diavatopoulos.
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