We hope for a milder enhance in COVID-19 instances as we’re getting into the winter months, Professor of Microbiology/Molecular Virology on the College of Nicosia Medical Faculty, Petros Karayiannis, informed CNA on Friday, mentioning on the identical time that kids as much as 18 years of age are liable to COVID an infection, as a result of low vaccination protection within the age group.
He stated that after the soundness within the variety of instances, there was a slight enhance over the previous couple of days. “We now have reached 200 instances per day, at a time once we had been down to 2 digits. It seems to be like this has modified. Due to this fact, we should be particularly cautious as a result of we’re getting into the colder months of winter”, he stated.
Requested if there will probably be a rise in infections over the winter, the Professor stated he hoped this enhance will probably be minor. Because of the excessive vaccination protection in Cyprus, he stated, we are able to comprise any enhance and deal with it adequately”, including that this nevertheless will rely to a big extent on our behaviour and primarily by the implementation of self-protective measures and protocols at workplaces.
Concerning the Delta+ variant, he stated it doesn’t trigger nice concern though 10-15% extra transmissible than Delta. Alternatively, it doesn’t look like extra lethal but, trying on the scenario within the UK the place it’s extra prevalent and represents 10% of the COVID instances.
It appears that evidently it’s being dealt with sufficiently by vaccines and it nonetheless stays a variant of curiosity however not of concern, he stated.
Dr. Karayiannis stated larger instances of influenza are anticipated within the winter. In fact, he added, these could be restricted by the self-protection measures we apply in addition to different viral infections of the higher respiratory tract. The professor stated a “mixture of influenza and coronavirus just isn’t a pleasing expertise and that is the place the hazard of the 2 viruses lies and it’s right here that we should be cautious and not less than shield ourselves towards the flu virus by getting the vaccine”.
The issues, he added, are in international locations the place the vaccination protection is low, equivalent to Balkan international locations, Russia, Estonia, Latvia and Ukraine. These international locations have a pointy enhance in instances with many deaths reported day by day.
He additionally stated the vaccination protection within the northern a part of Greece is round 55% and there once more the scenario is critical.
The excessive vaccination protection of about 80% of the grownup inhabitants in Cyprus, stated Dr. Karayiannis, permits us to be considerably optimistic. He confused, nevertheless, that in kids between 12 and 18 years outdated we now have not but reached these ranges, whereas there isn’t any suggestion for vaccination of youngsters beneath 12.
Right here is the place there will probably be an issue stated Dr. Karayiannis and defined that kids beneath 12 in the intervening time who are usually not vaccinated can probably be contaminated. He additionally stated that if the virus is circulating in a household setting then the kids could be contaminated and take the virus to high school or the kids can contract the virus from elsewhere and take it to high school. Whether or not there will probably be an issue or not will develop into obvious within the coming days and weeks,” he stated.
The Nationwide Surveillance issued on Friday, stated Dr. Karayiannis, confirmed that kids between 10-18 exhibit the very best cumulative incidence. These kids are on the go and socialise probably the most and have the bottom vaccination protection at current.
He additionally stated that some infections are current at secondary training colleges however not in major colleges. Let`s hope issues don’t change, he added.