Between February and May 2022, Ecuador could be the Denmark from Latin America. The Government has estimated that with a drop in infections in the coming weeks, an “absolutely normal life” could be achieved in Ecuador.
In the European country, from February 1 of this year, almost all the restrictions adopted by COVID-19 and the rating of socially critical illness.
A little surprised, he said he felt Julius Vacacela, Ecuadorian doctor and journalist, who lives in that nation, when the withdrawal of restrictions was announced as wear masks to workto buy, on public transport, capacity, schedules, although the recommendation to wear a mask in nursing homes and have the COVID certificate, which is issued after the third vaccine, was maintained.
On February 2, he mentioned, on the radio FM Worldthat this country has a strong health systemthere is a great capacity to apply free PCR tests and there was 70% of vaccination in the third dose.
COVID-19 free?
President Guillermo Lasso, in an interview broadcast by the Presidency of the Republic, maintained -last Wednesday- that probably when the contagion levels are at 5%, you can say ‘absolutely normal life in Ecuador’. He also considered it “likely” that Ecuador will be free of COVID-19 next May.
While the Minister of Health, Ximena Garzón, indicated that when the viral positivity goes to less than that percentage, it has been decided to recommend that the mask is no longer used in open places, about everything that could happen between April and May, although this Thursday he mentioned that it could be end of March.
Along these lines, the national Emergency Operations Committee (COE) decided make more flexible various restrictive measures.
According to the Ministry of Public Health (MSP), despite the COVID-19 outbreak in early 2022, the number of infections has dropped in recent weeks. In the second week of February they reported 19,945 confirmedwhich compared to the last week of January, reflects a reduction of 50%.
In the second week of February there were 71 deaths compared to the 164 reported in the last one of January 2022.
30% of beds in hospitalization they were occupied in the health houses of the MSP; 23% in intermediate care and 59% in intensive care (ICU).
According to the vaccinometer, a tool of the MSP to know how the plan of vaccination, to February 16, the 83.65% of the population He already had two doses of the vaccine and almost 3,500,000 with the booster.
According Claire Muslin, doctor of virologythe pandemic is not over yet and it is not realistic that Ecuador be free of COVID-19 in the coming months.
He argued that while vaccines work because they are protecting against developing serious illness or dying they do not prevent infection.
In addition, even if you get to vaccinate 100% of the population the virus will continue to circulate and there will be transmission.
Muslin considered that perhaps that scenario may occur in the future when there are new vaccines that prevent infection and the development of the disease.
With regard to the relaxation of measures, it is necessary for it because we must learn to live with COVID-19since it will become endemic, that is, it will be part of the viruses that infect the population such as influenza or dengue.
For the expert, it will not return to the same life as before, but she suggests applying, for example, hybrid modalities between face-to-face and teleworking, as well as continuing with biosafety measures: use of the mask in closed places, handwashing, or if a person has respiratory symptoms get a screening test and isolate.
He argued that in Denmark completely abandoned biosecurity measures and there was a increase in the number of cases and deaths Therefore, he indicated, a balance must be found so that the country can function again with protection.
The productive sector sees it as positive to relax restrictions in the face of COVID-19; they aspire to a recovery of employment
Nikolaos Kyriakidis, Ph. D. in immunologyargued that Ecuador still in pandemic and no one can predict how it will evolve.
“If the epidemiological data allows it -one of the data is precisely the level of contagion- we can progressively resume some activities, but return to 100% normality, to what we had in December 2019, I see it very difficult in the short term; obviously these are also political decisions,” he indicated.
For him, the most important indicators would be the hospitalization rate or COVID deaths.
Kyriakidis expressed concern with the statement that Ecuador in May it will be a COVID-free country. He considered that it is possible for humanity to live with the virus.
Although he understands the economic and psychological effects derived from the pandemic, he recommended that the relaxation of restrictions be gradual and, in the event of a worsening of infection, hospitalization or death rates, take stricter measures again.
He added that there are several countries with low vaccination rates that become foci for the formation of new variants.
For Kyriakidis, it is necessary to take into account cases such as Denmark, that after lifting restrictions, is showing a peak in new cases, hospitalizations and deaths.
From March 14, 2022, more than 1,860,000 students of the Sierra-Amazon regime will be in attendance
John Zapatachairman of the Emergency Operations Committee (COE) national, defended that the relaxation of measures be before the carnival holiday.
“There are thousands of families that depend on these holidays, who ask Ecuador to reactivate itself; if the health situation allows us spaces must be given to sectors who have been badly beaten”, he argued in an interview in Teleamazonas.
For Juan Dawaher, specialist in infectious diseases“a while ago”, -referring to studies from early 2021- mask should no longer be worn in outdoor spaces because, he argued, the virus is not spread outdoors but in closed spaces.
What should be discussed, he added, is when it should not be used indoors.
“We would return to almost normality, which would mean that we will be able to walk without a mask, at least among co-workers or family members and acquaintances and wear only face masks when we have any respiratory symptoms,” Dawaher said. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
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