The message that the variante Omicron “connotes by the inability to cause severe disease is incorrect, is less dangerous than Delta but has the ability to induce severe and even fatal disease“. Franco Locatelli, president of the Higher Health Council and coordinator of the CTS, specified this in his speech at the press conference on the latest anti Covid measures adopted by the government.” A South African study recorded 256 people who lost their lives for the variant Omicron and the vast majority of them were over 60 years of age. This factor – he underlined – continues to have an impact “.
Furthermore, “it should be clearly emphasized, data from the United Kingdom document that the booster dose against Omicron gives a vaccine efficacy of 88%, while that of the primary vaccination cycle is 65%. This is why it is essential to insist on vaccinations “.
“The choice of compulsory vaccination for 50-year-olds has its own solid scientific rationale – Locatelli remarked – Before the vaccines the lethality rate was going to rise significantly above the age of 50 “.
Then, to a question about the treatments, he replied: “There has also been great attention to cures for Covid-19 such as monoclonal antibodies and antiviral drugs. But it is good to put all the points in line: only one monoclonal is active against Omicron“. For this” we have taken steps to purchase the 2 antivirals “.
On the latest anti Covid measures adopted by the government, the president of the Superior Health Council explained that “within the CTS, the Scientific Technical Committee, there is no dissonant voice with respect to the measures adopted by the government. There was a meeting no later than December 7 and in fact the epidemiological situation of the country was analyzed without a single voice dissonant with respect to the one that had been adopted “. Locatelli added that” there is no it has never been a position that was not a priority for the protection and support of the school and there has never been the problem of having our positions not listened to “.