Vasilakopoulos on coronavirus: What is the main reason for the spread – 2024-08-04 02:30:58

The coronavirus is currently an endemic disease. It stopped being a pandemic and that means it lives with us and will have ups and downs. Now we are in an outbreak due to three factors and the main one is that very few people were vaccinated this year, emphasized the professor of Pulmonology of Intensive Care at the University of Athens, Theodoros Vasilakopoulos.

“The vulnerable groups alone were estimated at around 3 million, while we have given 270,000 doses of vaccines. Accordingly, for the flu we have given around 3 million doses and well done. We mourned 71 deaths from influenza, while deaths from coronavirus amount to 1,300”.

“I don’t say every year I’m going to get the 30th or 31st vaccine, but I’m going to get the annual flu shot, so should the coronavirus vaccine. We did the first three with the booster dose and we have to get into the culture of doing this vaccine once a year,” said the professor, speaking to ERT and adding that:

“As time goes by, the coronavirus changes and in a recession, the population’s immunity drops, the virus becomes a little more contagious and goes back to people. So we too must change our behavior. For example, when we have respiratory symptoms, such as this period when we have an outbreak or we are in close contact with a known case, it is absolutely necessary to do two and three tests”, the professor points out and adds:

“If we are young and use public transport we will wear a mask. If, on the other hand, we are either elderly, or belong to the vulnerable groups, with underlying diseases, we will contact our doctor so that he can make an application and get timely within the first five days the antiviral drugs that are provided completely free of charge by the state and reduce tremendously the possibility of becoming seriously ill. So it needs an adaptability. When the coronavirus flares up, let’s be very careful and when it subsides, let’s be a little more relaxed, but don’t forget the vaccine, at least at the beginning of autumn.”