Why is COVID-19 still a global threat to public health?

The vast majority of current COVID-19 victims, between 80% and 90%, are people who have not received the recommended booster shots.

It is crucial to stop viewing COVID-19 solely as a pandemic threat; it is now a seasonal disease that, if left unchecked, can become severe and fatal. Today, SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are available worldwide to protect against it.

Recent studies indicate that COVID-19 continues to cause more deaths than influenza and that reinfections with SARS-CoV-2 cause more severe sequelae than influenza. While a person can get the flu several times without major complications, it is not clear whether they can withstand multiple COVID-19 infections in the same way.

COVID-19 can also trigger long-term effects, known as long COVID, which add to the complications caused by new variants. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently warned of the increase in COVID-19 infections worldwide, with cases detected even among athletes at the Paris Olympics.

Experts such as cardiologist and geneticist Eric Topol, an international reference since the beginning of the pandemic, point out that COVID-19 remains a significant concern in the United States, with a 25% increase in deaths and a 12% increase in COVID-19 emergencies in the last week. Topol warns that the United States faces a significant wave of infections, with an estimated 900,000 new infections per day.

5 reasons why COVID-19 remains a threat to public health

1. The risk of new variants
   The WHO warns of the possibility that more virulent or contagious variants may soon emerge, in a context of low vaccination rates and high circulation of the virus.
2. Long-term sequelae after hospitalization for COVID-19
   Recent research indicates that the health effects of COVID-19 may persist, even years after infection, especially in those who have been hospitalized.
3. Deaths associated with low vaccination
   In Argentina, 89% of people who died from COVID-19 had not received the booster shot. Vaccination remains crucial to reducing mortality.
4. Reinfections and increased risk of sequelae
   COVID-19 reinfections significantly increase the risk of death, hospitalization and long-term health problems, according to a study by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
5. Long COVID: A growing global problem
   Long COVID affects 11% of those who contract the virus, regardless of the initial severity of the infection, with symptoms that can last for months or years.

The importance of the ARVAC vaccine in the fight against COVID-19

Argentina has developed the first protein vaccine against COVID-19, called ARVAC-Cecilia Grierson, designed as a booster dose for people over 18 years of age. This vaccine, the result of a collaboration between CONICET, the National University of San Martín (UNSAM), and the Cassará Laboratory, has been well received by medical personnel, highlighting the confidence in its technology and effectiveness.