We are talking about a pandemic that is moving to another phase, the path obviously we would like to be towards endemicity, but it is an evolving phenomenon and we are adapting to it, Dr. Zoe-Dorothea Pana, a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee, a lecturer at the European University, told CBC.
Asked to comment on the weekly update on new cases, deaths and hospitalizations recorded between April 22-28, 2022 and released by the Ministry of Health, Dr. Pana expressed hope that the seasonality and immunity of the population will help keep this good situation.
"No one can predict on what will happen further. But we are, because of seasonality, high immunity, experience and knowledge, in a much better phase than we were in the previous two years," he noted.
What we had seen both in Cyprus and in European Union member states, he continued, was that in the previous period the gap had opened between the number of infections in the community and the number of people becoming seriously ill and entering intensive care units.
Also, he added, a percentage of people admitted to hospitals are with COVID and not because of COVID.
"So, therefore, evaluating these data, as well as the phase of the pandemic that we are in, the high rate of immunity, the high vaccination coverage and the seasonality, have allowed Member States to enter a different phase of the pandemic, which does not negate the existence of the pandemic but requires adaptation to the transitional phase," he noted.
He said that evaluation of the data is differentiated without meaning that it should not exist. He stressed that the positivity rate is something we have to monitor, as for other infectious diseases and especially our hospital indicators that represent the part of severe coronavirus disease that has been the goal since the beginning of the pandemic.
"So, yes, we are watching the course and we are monitoring it in the way recommended by the European Agency for Disease Control and Prevention, we are adapting to the new conditions of coexistence in this phase with coronavirus safely and with a targeting towards people who are also at high risk for other infections. Removing the compulsory measures does not mean that we are removing the importance of personal protection measures, but especially for high-risk groups, immunosuppressed and seniors," she added.
Dr. Pana said that even in the latest report of the European Commission it is recommended that it is a period of preparation of Member States, proper surveillance of infectious diseases to see if something deviates from the path that is an application and a new normality of coexistence with coronavirus.
He pointed out that "we must combat misinformation because the pandemic is not over, it is a natural phenomenon that is evolving, we still have a certain amount of uncertainty and hopefully we will maintain the situation and see what the strategy of the countries is after the autumn when we have to see how to follow the various directives, whether they concern vaccination or personal protection measures or laboratory testing, disease surveillance, etc.In response to a question about whether we are towards the end of the pandemic, he replied that unfortunately no one can confirm this."
Asked whether we are towards the end of the pandemic, he said that unfortunately no one can confirm this. "What is prudent is that we are going, as we have been saying since the beginning of the pandemic, step by step. We have entered this period in a different phase without this meaning that this picture cannot be reversed," he pointed out.
We are hoping and working, he continued, towards normality without meaning that coronavirus can be eliminated. "Coexisting with coronavirus safely, using the weapons we have at our disposal with experience and investing in health systems is what the European Commission is demonstrating that we need to do and from there onwards there must be constant vigilance and surveillance so that we can act in a timely and effective manner to whatever happens in the future," he concluded.
Source: CNA
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