South Africa’s leading expert warns that people recovered from Covid are not immune to new variants

Quarraisha Abdool Karim, Scientific Director of the Center for AIDS Research in South Africa and one of the country’s most renowned epidemiologists, has warned that “The natural infection by Covid does not protect with the appearance of new variants”, that is, people who have had the disease are not immune to new variants such as omicron.

Asked if the same happens with vaccinated people, she pointed out that still there is not enough information to be sure. “We know that those who were infected with the previous variants are catching it again. We must do a follow-up among those who are vaccinated and having the disease with mild symptoms, and those who are not and experience a greater severity of the disease, “he said in an interview in The country.

On the other hand, the epidemiologist has taken the opportunity to denounce the lack of vaccines in South Africa: “When vaccines began to be available, we saw that national interests prevailed, and we are paying a price for it. The concern for the new variant reminds us that others will arrive, and what we do individually is irrelevant, because for humanity to win we must work together, share “.

South African President Demands End of Restrictions

For his part, the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, has again demanded the end of international restrictions imposed on the countries of southern Africa after the detection of the omicron variant and called them “hypocrisy of the worst kind.”

“These countries have always told us that we should base our decisions on science, but when it comes down to them the turn to apply it to themselves they only look at their own interest “Ramaphosa lamented.

“The devastating impact that these travel bans have is well known, United Nations Secretary General (António Guterres) he has called it ‘apartheid traveling’ “The South African president, who is on a brief official visit to Senegal, has emphasized in his speech.

In that sense, Ramaphosa has described these drastic decisions as “hypocrisy of the worst kind” and has stressed that this “must end”. He also recalled that rich countries “hoarded” vaccines against Covid-19, bought more than their populations needed and still obstruct the request made by South Africa and India before the World Trade Organization (WTO) to temporarily suspend the intellectual property rights over this class of remedies.