Dr. Tiodorovic talks about when we'll stop wearing masks, 4th dose of vaccine: The virus has adapted to humans

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The virus has adopted to people, people to the virus. I believe that the spring will bring relief, but I remind you that the epidemiological situation is still uncertain, and that Omicron is not very "easy" for everyone, Professor. Dr. Branislav Tiodorovic, epidemiologist and a member of the Crisis HQ, has told the daily Blic.

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"The current epidemiological situation can be assessed as uncertain, because we still have a large number of positive cases every day, regardless of the fact that the numbers have fallen compared to the previous period when we set records. What still worries me is what contributes to this 'uncertain epidemiological situation' is the number of deaths, which ranges from 50, or slightly less or more than that (per day)."

When asked what will happen regarding the fourth dose of the vaccine, Tiodorovic replied:

"I think it is necessary to think about the fourth dose, especially for the category of the population that is most endangered. Certainly, we are following everything that is happening in the world, and at this moment, no one has decided on mass vaccination with the fourth dose, nor do I think that will be the case. But, for this category of the population that I mentioned, they will need the fourth dose because it has been shown that those who are vaccinated still tolerate coronavirus more easily and have less chances of getting a severe clinical picture and ending up in intensive care.

Those who received the third, booster dose, if they belong to the younger and middle-aged categories, will not necessarily need it, unless they are chronically ill, unless they belong in a risk group for some reason. As for the elderly, it will be very necessary for them to get vaccinated every year. As things stand, everything is moving towards a calming scenario. We should endure this and next week, see the consequences of holidays, larger gatherings, larger sports and cultural events. If that goes without any big increase (in new cases), and starts to end next week, then we can expect a slight calming down and a decrease in the number of positive test results, and what is important, a reduction in the number of deaths. If that is how it goes, optimistically speaking, then in mid-March we will enter a peaceful, consolidated situation that is under control."

According to him, vaccination will be merely recommended in the future.

"As is the case with the flu, it is known who is in an endangered category and they are vaccinated, but anyone who wants to protect themselves against the flu can get vaccinated no matter how old they are. It will be the same with Covid vaccination. As for the vaccination so far, the scope could certainly have been larger, but it seems to me that this is it, those who got vaccinated, got vaccinated. Going forward, vaccination will most likely move in the direction of those who need it, and those are the groups I have already listed, the elderly, the chronically ill and those who are at risk."

When asked when we will stop wearing masks and be more free, Dr. Tiodorovic said:

"I can answer this question in two parts. What measures have we not softened in a long time? We cannot consider wearing masks indoors, keeping a distance, or disinfecting as some harsh measures. Well, that remained in force in these European countries which have publicly announced that they will lift the measures. Gatherings are still limited in some countries. Let's remember, we didn't have a curfew like in Austria, let's be realistic, what do we need to abolish what we have in place now? So, we don't have any significant measures that we could abolish, we will remove the masks when the numbers are lower, and when the daily statistics are different. It should be organized at the level of local self-governments. It may be this is how it will go.

Even if a new mutation were to occur, it would be weaker, because that's the law of nature. The virus has slowly adapted to humans, humans to the virus, that is what happens to microorganisms. But see, there is no microorganism that has had so many variations and so many new strains like this one, this is unprecedented in medicine. Even the flu has not had such mutations during one pandemic. This is both worrying and surprising, but scientists, virologists, molecular biologists will still have to deal with this problem and provide an explanation... The Spanish fever lasted longer, but there were no changes in strains at the time, the medical science did not notice it. In all the flu pandemics we have had, the swine flu, before that the bird flu, it did what it did, but there was no other type. This is something completely different."

(Telegraf.rs)