“The virus wants to live”: Irina Feldblum on the introduction of restrictions due to COVID

The incidence of CORONAVIRUS infection continues to grow in the Perm Territory. During the working week, 2346 cases of covid were detected in the region, of which 209 people were hospitalized in the region's hospitals. 2 people have died. To date, the Perm Territory does not fully meet the criteria for a “COVID-19-free” region.

Epidemiologist, Professor, HEAD of the Department of Epidemiology and Hygiene of PSMU Irina Feldblum answered the main questions of RBC Perm about the incidence, the introduction of restrictions and vaccination in the region.

About current incidence rates

I don't think anything terrible is happening. You know that coronavirus is SARS, and the rise in these categories of incidence usually occurs in September. But now we have received an increase in the incidence of covid-19 a little earlier. This increase in the incidence is associated with local and point mutations, which has undergone a variant of "omicron", which has been circulating for a long time. Since this is the same variant of the virus, we do not expect a strong rise in the incidence. The growth itself is associated with new subspecies of the "omicron", namely variants B.2 and B.4, which are indeed more infectious, but again, there is nothing to worry about, because the virus wants to live and we have received such susceptibility that the current version of the virus can circulate and live with us.

About restrictions

Because these mutations make the virus more contagious but less pathogenic. We still see mild clinical forms. The risks of hospitalization are minimal, but we cannot completely exclude them. First of all, we must pay attention to risk groups: these are people 60+, often ill children and people with chronic diseases. I think that there is no need for strict administrative restrictions, such as the introduction of a mask regime, a ban on mass events. I don't see this need, every inhabitant of the Perm Territory should have it here. Everyone roughly knows the level of their state of HEALTH, so there must be a personal level of self-preservation.

About vaccination

Vaccination against COVID-19 has already been introduced into the vaccination calendar. So is the flu shot. Therefore, today we are reaching the planned level of immunization. There is a bi-vaccine against influenza and coronavirus, it will be possible to use it. Or get vaccinated against influenza and coronavirus separately, but only with a difference of a month. And it's not because the incidence is on the rise. But because when we create herd immunity, the virus begins to weaken. We see this with the influenza virus, for example. It is mass and mandatory vaccination with administrative barriers, of course, that is not needed. But vaccination is the norm with which we will live.