The bulletin today on the epidemic from Coronavirus, with 242 new admissions to intensive care, confirms that pressure on health services is always very high. But compared to seven days ago in intensive care there are 217 fewer patients, while in the non-critical area the calso is 2.385 people. For Patrizia Laurenti, Professor of Hygiene at the Catholic University of Rome, these are small signs of improvement. But these indicators will be the last to go down, along with deaths: «I think it will take another full month to see a significant decline. I don’t want to do terrorism, but we must be realistic ».
As for the contagion data, in the next two to three weeks it will be important to compare the average trend of the new positives with that of the previous weeks, to verify the downward trend which has manifested itself since the end of March. Also because, as the professor points out, “we have reopened the schools and this represents an unknown factor with respect to the circulation of viruses ». The other big question mark is represented by the vaccination campaign: «It has to undergo an important push, but once again it is put at risk by the communications coming from overseas. This time I really hope that, also in the light of the AstraZeneca case, the communications are more correct, more balanced and more responsive to the reality of the facts ».
Translated: Italy should decide to start with the administration of Johnson & Johnson, despite it precautionary stop decided by the FDA in the United States? Laurenti replies: «The vaccine has been approved by the EMA and this is enough for us to be able to start with the administration. The caution is understandable and the cases of adverse reactions must be investigated, but it must be taken into account that the US is experimenting for the first time with a viral vector vaccine, with much greater attention than that reserved for mRna vaccines “. Italy could therefore decide not to stop Johnson & Johnson. But the most important thing is that «this time the communication is uniform from the point of view of the message that is given to the population. Vaccines are safe and effective, and the risks of natural infection far outweigh the risks of vaccination. There is still no evidence to the contrary ».
The real danger for the vaccination campaign is in fact represented by the possibility that the level of distrust in the population increases: “After the chaos on AstraZeneca, I myself have noticed in the vaccination center where I work an increase in the frequency of the question: “What vaccine are you doing for me?”. Here, our answer must be an opportunity for education. We communicate which vaccine is administered, but at the same time we take advantage of it to recommend trust in other types of vaccines and respect for appointments, so that there are no cancellations that could really compromise the success of the vaccination campaign “, the only weapon we have. to defeat the epidemic.
