Punctual, like a Swiss watch, with the arrival of autumn, the topic once again appears Covid-19, the subject of a new circular from the Ministry of Health, most likely the last of the holder of the dicastery Roberto Speranza. Before the summer and then the political elections had meant that the spotlight was lowered on the effects of the Coronavirus, but now in the premise of the provision, still a draft being examined by the Regions, we read that “The pandemic is not over yet”. The summer wave of Covid-19, caused by Omicron BA.4 and BA.5, according to ministry officials, could get worse as cold weather sets in. If so, if there was a “Severe clinical impact and / or on health care and / or on the functioning of essential services”the use of masks indoors.
The use of smart working as an anti Covid-19 resource
Restoring the mandatory nature of personal protective equipment would mean taking a big step back after the green light for the cancellation of the restrictions endorsed by the same Ministry of Health but, apparently, the government does not seem to be calm. In fact, in the circular it is written that if the cases of hospitalization for Covid-19 were to increase “It will be possible to consider the temporary adoption of other measures, such as working from home or limiting the size of events that involve gatherings”. For the ministry, “Various factors contribute to making the epidemiological evolution and the repercussions on the health system in terms of demand for assistance uncertain”.
Concern about the appearance of new variants
The fear is that the disease may become more aggressive with the cold season and with the arrival of new ones variantsalso increasing the clinical severity of the cases. “Although the evolution of the pandemic is currently unpredictable – is highlighted in the draft of the document – our country must prepare, for the third consecutive year, to face an autumn and a winter in which an increased welfare impact could be observed, attributable to different respiratory diseases acute”. For this it becomes indispensable “Avoiding congestion in health facilities by limiting the incidence of serious illness, protecting especially the most vulnerable people and influencing modifiable factors for which health systems and society must continue to adapt their response to the epidemic of Sars-Cov- 2″.
The vaccination campaign
The circular also refers to vaccination. “In the autumn-winter 2022-2023 season – it is underlined in the provision – the goal of vaccination campaign will be to continue to put the elderly and the frail in safety as a priority, protecting them from serious illness and hospitalization “. For this reason it will be a priority, again according to the ministry,“To consider in the preparation and implementation of the new vaccination strategies a series of factors including the continuation of the current vaccination campaign, filling the gaps in the vaccination coverage of the primary cycle and the recommended boosters”. Finally, you will have to manage the tracking of the disease, with the contact tracing and the quarantine for those at risk of serious illness and in places, such as hospitals, where protection is essential. Speranza, in any case, throwing water on the fire, declared that no circular will be published immediately, although the epidemiological picture will continue to be carefully monitored.