Given the high levels of contagion, the low hospitalization and low fatality registered by the circulation in the country of the variant omicron, the former director of the COVID-19 Health Emergency Management Committee, Beloved Alejandro Báez, was optimistic about the impact on the herd immunity that could produce this COVID-19 mutation.
Báez indicated that countries like Israel are committed to achieving herd immunity with omicron; however, he calls on the population not to neglect themselves and to continue with health protocols.
The specialist explained that omicron it is more contagious, which has generated spikes of infections in highly developed nations and levels never seen before in the Dominican Republic; however, its symptoms are also milder.
On Friday the country registered 5,968 new positives; While on January 1 and 6, more than 25,000 infections have been reported.
“From the beginning we were talking about coronaviruses having a high level of mutation and these mutations create different characteristics and conditions. Omicron it is a variant that generates a higher viral load that favors transmissibility, a greater number of contagions and the symptoms are milder ”, he said.
Pandemic management
Báez explained to Diario Libre that omicron It has been less severe in the Dominican Republic, not only due to its intrinsic characteristics, but also due to the efforts of health authorities to ensure that most of the population is vaccinated, which makes the defense against the virus greater.
“When we combine all that, what we understand is that perhaps this variant will help reinforce the necessary herd immunity in the Dominican Republic”The former director of the COVID-19 Health Emergency Management Committee.
The doctor indicated that the issue of the coronavirus should be viewed optimistically, since the investment and sacrifices of citizens must be taken into account.
“Everything that has to do with COVID-19 I understand that it must be seen in an optimistic way, we have to see the opportunities, we have to understand everything we have done as a nation, as individuals,” he said.
Socio-economic impact
On the other hand, the also professor and vice president of operative medicine in the Department of Emergency Medicine of the School of Medicine of Georgia, pointed out that this variant has generated a socioeconomic impact at the level of absenteeism, especially in the health workforce. , which must be taken into consideration.
“We must talk about the economic and operational impact in terms of the workforce, this variant is very contagious, we are seeing peaks of positivity that had not been seen before and, if we then insert medical licenses, quarantine time, isolation, especially in jobs that cannot be done by teleworking, there we do have to be very careful “, said the specialist.
