Among the many wars going on in the world in this period, the one against the Covid-19 it has not yet been won and the general winter, even in our country, could lend a hand to the invasion of the virus, with the result that, by Christmas, too many of us could find ourselves in bed with the fever.
Covid-19: data from the Gimbe foundation
La Gimbe foundation offers an updated picture of the situation every week and the data is worrying. Between 11 and 17 November, infections grew by 15%, ordinary hospitalizations by 9,8%, intensive care by 21,7%, but above all vaccination slowed down, with the fourth doses decreasing by 11,9, XNUMX%.
Precisely this appears to be the weak point of a war that will probably accompany us for many years. From Gimbe's weekly note we find that out of 19 million and more people who should protect themselves (over 13 million over 60s, almost four million frail, over 1,7 million health personnel and 321 thousand nursing home guests) the coverage rate national for fourth doses is 25% with clear regional differences: from 11,4% in Calabria to 37,7% in Piedmont. The problem is that each region goes its own way in vaccination and communication on the available menu and its effects is confused.
Vaccines in Emilia Romagna
In a region like Emilia-Romagna, almost always at the forefront when it comes to health, until a few days ago it was almost impossible to find the most up-to-date vaccine, the bivalent studied against Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 variants. Many pharmacies are still unable to supply it, despite the fact that the Region guarantees that it is distributed regularly since it was authorized by AIFA and that the citizen, guided perhaps by his doctor, can choose which administration to opt for.
Each region is a world apart and the global picture escapes. When in Emilia-Romagna finding the latest generation bivalent seemed impossible, the citizens of Lombardy were already vaccinated with this serum.
But what should be the menu available to citizens and what characteristics do these vaccines have? “In Bologna – says Paolo Pandolfi, director of the public health department of the Local Health Authority – there are three vaccines now available, to mRNA. The one against the original Wuhan strain, Omicron BA.1 bivalent and Omicron BA.4-5 bivalent. The first is administered to those who have not yet done the complete cycle, the second and third to those who have to take the fourth dose".
Bivalent vaccines, reads the website of the Ministry of Health, “have shown the ability to induce a major antibody response than that of the original monovalent vaccine against both the Omicron BA.1 variant and the BA.4 and BA.5 variants. In terms of safety, the available data show no differences compared to the original monovalent vaccine".
There are actually differences between the two. The BA.1 variant is almost no longer circulating and the vaccine that bears its name does not completely cover the contagion, while offering good coverage from serious consequences. As regards BA.4-5, without prejudice to coverage for the serious form of the disease, nNothing is known about coverage from contagion. "There are no studies on the point - observes Giovanni Rezza, director general of health prevention at the ministry of health - but they should be released shortly". The problem is that these studies will perhaps arrive when they are useless.
The new variants of Covid-19
In fact, the visus changes at a surprising speed and BA.5, so far dominant, is about to be replaced by Cerberus and Gryphon variants they are running fast. The first represents about 30% of the infections circulating in Italy and half of the infections in the United States; the second is still behind, but it seems to be very capable of making fun of our immune system.
Researchers have already worked wonders to come up with currently available vaccines, and BA.4-5 has also seen a lot of controversy as they have been tested on animals, but not on humans, as is done with influenza vaccines.
This does not affect their safety, guarantees Pandolfi, because they are based on an already tested technology. This does not mean that most people are paralyzed by uncertainty, on the one hand swirl of fragmented information, by promises not always kept, by the fear of being injected with something new and immediately already old. Yet the road is forced. Vaccines against Covid-19 are imperfect, but they are the most perfect we have available to fight a disease that we know little about and that could still do us a lot of harm.
“Even if at the moment it is impossible to make predictions about future scenarios – he writes in the weekly note Nino Cartabellotta, President of the Gimbe Foundation – the data confirm a widespread recovery of viral circulation, however underestimated due to the widespread use of 'do-it-yourself' tampons, whose initial impact can already be glimpsed on hospitalizations in the medical area and in intensive care; at the same time we are witnessing a decrease in the administration of the fourth doses for the elderly and frail. With the arrival of the cold months and permanence indoors, even without considering the possible emergence of variants capable of 'undermining' Omicron 5, viral circulation is destined to increase. And at the moment - despite the recent reassurances of Minister Schillaci in the Chamber - to date all the 'discontinuity' actions of the Meloni Government have gone in the opposite direction to that suggested by the international public health authorities: that is, to be prepared and ready to face any new waves. It is therefore expected from the Executive as soon as possible the preparation plan for the winter season".
