Presentation of the diptych 'After the death of a loved one by suicide'
3 December, 2021
They recommend mouthwashes with CPC to reduce the viral load of covid
3 December, 2021
The CSIC virologist, who coordinates the team that creates the Spanish vaccine against covid, assures that this virus could become seasonal at the end of 2022.
Are the cases detected in Spain of the omicron variant just the tip of the iceberg?
I think so, because it is a lot of chance to do analysis and just hit the target. This indicates that the virus has been around for more than two weeks and more cases will appear in the coming days.
Should we be worried about the South African variant?
Not for the moment. It seems premature to me. Let's wait at least two weeks because we have the experience of others that jumped to the press and lasted a month.
Are current vaccines effective against this new strain?
It is still under study. What is known is that people who were vaccinated have been infected, but vaccinated people are also infected with other different strains. Potentially it could escape better because it has accumulated 32 mutations, but we do not have scientific evidence that it spreads better.
The key is vaccination.
Yes, but you have to do it well. We must vaccinate everyone who can, but mainly the risk groups, because they are more at risk and because, being older, their immune system is more weakened. It is easier for them to become infected and, therefore, to spread the virus. Then it is better for us to invest in vaccination, but invest well.
Before vaccinating children, should those countries with low coverage be protected?
I sincerely believe that today there are vaccines for almost everyone. What we have to do is organize and have not only generosity but intelligence, to protect ourselves.
In what phase is the vaccine that the CSIC is working on?
We are going slow. It has great potential, but it is also more complex because it expresses several proteins and is totally new, which is why we don't really like to talk about when it will be available, but not before the end of 2022. That is if everything goes well.
Will applying it as an inhaler spray provide more immunity?
If it is authorized by the agencies that regulate the administration of the drug, there is no doubt that it is the most effective route because the mucous membranes to which you present the antigen are immunized.
Do you think that the covid vaccine will be installed in the vaccination schedule, like the flu?
With everything we know at the moment, if the situation does not change, it almost certainly will.
He has been working with coronavirus for 35 years. What differentiates SARS-CoV-2 from other viruses?
All viruses have strategies that give selective advantages to escape the immune defenses we have. This is a champion: it has many strategies, it confuses our immune system, it annuls some of our defenses, it weakens the antibody system and it varies and evolves rapidly.
Aragón is immersed in the seventh wave of the pandemic. Will the third doses finally stop the transmission of covid?
Yes, that always helps. Thanks to the fact that many people are vaccinated, this wave may be much flatter than the previous ones. And an effort must be made to convince those who have not been vaccinated. We need them to understand the benefit of vaccination.
Do you think the covid passport is a good tool?
I haven't examined it rigorously, but any initiative that can help people get vaccinated more, which is one of their missions, seems fantastic to me.
Should more restrictive measures be applied, as has already been done?
The incidences are going up and if they continue to go up, of course they do. It is better to put preventive measures in place when the numbers are not yet scandalous than when they are completely out of control. Afterwards it is much more expensive. The economy will not improve until healthcare is improved and total freedom comes.
When can we see the end of this pandemic?
Possibly soon. Maybe by the end of next year it will be controlled in terms of vaccination and will become a seasonal virus like the flu, which causes many deaths every year and is very important, but it will no longer have the characteristics of a pandemic that can cause many deaths. dead. It has infected 260 million people and killed 5,2 million in the world and, if it continues like this, it will kill many more. This is very serious, and people have to understand that the situation is very serious.
Aragon already has close to 80% of its total immunized population.
It is an achievement that the Aragonese have to be very proud of, but we must not stop. We must continue to achieve a percentage of 94%, which will be achieved because in two weeks we will have vaccines for children, who represent 14% of the population. Reaching that level of vaccination is very important.
