The Omicron 5 variant has allowed Covid to raise its head. In Italy we are witnessing a new restart of the contagion curve and many experts indicate that a new summer wave is being observed with the peak that could arrive at the end of July. “We must not confuse prudence with fear.” The trend of Covid-19 must be “monitored but without transmitting messages of too much concern or alarmism” because “the situation is currently under control”. Undersecretary of Health Andrea Costa said speaking on SkyTg24. According to Costa «if the goal is to live with the virus then we must learn to live with the positives. I think we need to focus more on the symptomatic than on the positives. Continuing to look for the positives is not the right strategy “, stressing that the numbers in hospitals” are well below “the thresholds.
Omicron 5, milder symptoms (but not flu)
«True, most of the replication “of Omicron’s new sub-variants such as Omicron BA.5” occurs in the upper airways, “the upper airways,” but this virus has not completely cooled down yet. There are also cases of pneumonia and interstitial pneumonia ”and therefore“ it is absolutely not to be underestimated ”. Virologist Fabrizio Pregliasco, professor at the State University of Milan, explains this to beraking latest news Salute, defining a “distracting message” what he compares to a mutant influence of Sars-CoV-2 such as Omicron 5, on the basis of the symptoms detected in the Countries with greater diffusion including Portugal.
A report published last May by Santé Publique France compared the symptoms between the different sub-variants of Omicron, from BA.1 that characterized the winter wave between late 2021 and early 2022 to the latest ones, BA.4 and BA. 5, which at this moment are causing the contagions to rise again. According to the report, there are not many differences. However, problems with fatigue, cough, fever and sore throat increased. The average duration of symptoms would be around four days. However, the analysis of symptoms mainly concerns people who have been vaccinated and therefore already protected from the aggressive form of the virus. The unvaccinated, on the other hand, risk more serious effects.
Galli: towards variants with less pathogenicity
«The current trend induces something more than a suspicion about a new, hopefully modest, wave represented by the arrival and expansion of a further Omicron 5 variant. How much better Omicron really are and how much more defended guests are it is not yet possible to say. Probably the strategy of these new variants is towards a lower pathogenecity». This was stated by Massimo Galli, former director of the infectious diseases department of the Sacco hospital in Milan, guest of the Gr1 on Radio1.
Costa: living with asymptomatic positives
“We have always said – added the undersecretary – that leaving the state of emergency did not mean getting out of a pandemic. The virus still circulates “and the increase in infections is” I think it is normal if we consider that, in our country, for days now, there have been no more restrictions and therefore there are more opportunities for meetings and social moments, therefore the conditions that favor a increase in infections “. The undersecretary then wanted to clarify his position on the end of isolation for the positives: «If the goal is to get to coexistence with the virus, this also means having many positives circulating. I am referring to the asymptomatic and vaccinated positives. We will have to evaluate what will be the most opportune moment, we have to get there gradually ».
“On the other hand – Costa observed – when someone catches the flu and has mild symptoms they don’t always stay at home”. For the undersecretary, therefore, “living with the virus means living with the positives”, also considering that “every day about 2.3 million citizens are in isolation, but I think that just as many circulate unknowingly without knowing they are positive. I don’t think the right strategy is to keep looking for the positives. I believe that we must focus more on the symptomatic, which still require prudence and perhaps still isolation ».