The president of the Spanish Association of Vaccinology and head of Epidemiology of the Canary Islands Health Service, Amós García Rojas, said this Tuesday that as a society "we have relaxed a bit" with respect to the covid-19 pandemic, but warned that "not all is said and done" and that if cases continue to increase "more drastic measures will have to be taken."
"It remains to be seen whether the rebound in incidence, close to 60 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in fourteen days both in Spain as a whole and in the Canary Islands, consolidates its upward trend, in which case it would be necessary to raise the debate on the advisability of demanding control measures from visitors from other countries," Garcia Rojas said in statements to Efe.
The expert links the recent increase in cases with the low vaccination coverage in several European countries and with the reduction of control measures.
Although in Spain the intensity of cases is not yet as high as in other European countries, he warned that it must be clear that "we must continue to live" with the virus.
"That is why it is necessary to vaccinate as many people as possible and not forget that the majority of infections occur in closed spaces, where it is necessary to continue maintaining the distance between people, the use of masks and ventilation," he stressed.
Fortunately, García Rojas pointed out, "the rebound in incidence on this occasion has different effects due to the wide vaccination coverage, which has a direct impact on the lower severity of the cases."
The new variants, such as the delta plus variety, do not have an added risk in terms of severity, but they do in contagiousness, since "it can spread more easily," the epidemiologist stressed.
These new variants will continue to proliferate if vaccination is not undertaken globally. While 70 percent of the vaccines are directed to developed countries "there is a possibility of new variants," so not only for reasons of justice and equity is it necessary to increase vaccination, but for epidemiological reasons, said García Rojas.
