"I'm convinced that as early as mid-February, we'll have a significantly lower number of new infections. I expect that in spring, likely before May, we'll return to normal life. I'm cautiously optimistic about the Omicron variant marking the beginning of the end of the pandemic. This means that there will be no need for additional Covid vaccines – seasonal ones as well – because Covid 19 isn't seasonal in nature like, for example, the flu," Professor Dušan Popadić, immunologist and member of the National Immunization Body (NITAG for short in Serbian) and Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Medical Science in Belgrade, said in his interview with Kurir.
As an immunologist, are you finally happy with the Omicron strain, as it may hint at an end?
"I'm moderately optimistic about the Omicron variant resulting in the end of the pandemic. I cannot be happy, of course, because huge numbers of people are infected daily. I cannot be happy with a great number of doctors and other medical workers being ill and unable to work either. But I remain hopeful that this may be the last big wave in the pandemic."
Officially taking off face masks and going back to normal life?
"I don't know what the Task Force would decide officially. But I do believe that the epidemiological situation will be such that risk of infection will be incomparably lower than it is now."
Does that mean that we will finally get to a stage where the coronavirus is endemic (seasonal)?
"I hope that's what happens."
And that a super-vaccine, made up of the antigens of all the corona strains that we have had so far, is the future?
"That is perfectly possible technically – there are polyvalent vaccines for other infectious agents. The flu vaccine that we've been taking is certainly that type, and it contains three to four different flu strains. Therefore, it's technically entirely possible to make such a polyvalent Covid vaccine, which would cover the existing variants."
Would it be administered seasonally to the most vulnerable?
"It wouldn't have to be seasonal at all, because Covid has had no seasonal characteristics of the kind the flu has. There'll be no need for us to administer a seasonal Covid vaccine because, hopefully, the pandemic will simply be gone. And when the pandemic is gone, then it's far less likely that the virus will spread from one person to the next."
COVID PASSES STILL USEFUL
The Task Force's Prof Branislav Tiodorović has said that this much testing is pointless, especially of asymptomatic cases, given that those people have already been out spreading the disease.
"I don't know that anyone who doesn’t have symptoms gets tested."
Testing is done when there's a suspicion or because of contacts, to get a Covid pass, especially with those who have not been vaccinated.
"Those with medical symptoms are the ones who should get tested. But yes, from the standpoint of unvaccinated people, it does make sense to get tested to get a Covid pass."
In the circumstances that we are in, with herd immunity developing and all barriers breaking, are 20-hr Covid passes useful at all? Should they be abolished?
"No, of course they're useful. In my opinion, they should be valid for one full day, i.e. 24 hours."
Do you find it surprising that Omicron can break through immunity by vaccination and natural immunity so easily?
"Yes, there are too many virus particles in the environment, and the virus breaks through both immunity by vaccination and immunity that develops when you've had the disease. But, luckily, a great many infected people – especially those vaccinated and those who have had Covid 19 – do not present with severe clinical symptoms."
Are the less severe clinical symptoms a result of corona weakening, or is a significant contribution also made by the body remembering via the vaccine or after having had the disease?
"In those vaccinated or who have had the disease, it makes sense to talk about an existing sort of immunity, which contributes to protection in multiple ways. In those encountering the virus for the first time, it makes no sense to talk about any kind of immunological memory that acts as a protection. Now, the reason why clinical presentations are less severe is that the virus has evidently undergone a critical number of mutations, which has reduced its virulence, i.e. its ability to harm our bodies. Vaccination is clearly being shown to be useful.
"Looking at South Africa, with a fairly young population and low vaccination rates, you get approximately six times lower mortality rates with the Omicron variant than with the Delta variant, which was present some four or five months ago. And if you look at the United Kingdom, France, Portugal, and other European countries, with high immunization rates, you can see that the mortality rates there are 15 to 20 times lower. Even though in all these European countries the population is older, and they should consequently have higher mortality rates, what is actually the case is lower mortality than in South Africa's much younger population. The vaccines obviously protect against the most severe infection outcomes."
FOURTH DOSE ONLY FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE
Israel has published a study according to which the fourth dose of the vaccine remains effective with Omicron as well. Will we be introducing it?
"It makes little sense to administer the fourth dose in the general population. That said, it could be useful to a point for particularly vulnerable groups. They include primarily patients with conditions for which they are receiving treatment that reduces the ability of their immune systems to respond to both the vaccine and the virus. Also, of course, people with primary immunodeficiencies."
The vaccination had stopped already anyway. When the milder Omicron appeared, hinting at an end coming soon, did it become clear that we can do nothing more to help the vaccination along?
"I think that whoever wanted to get the vaccine has had many opportunities to do so. Those who didn't get vaccinated decided not to do it because of what they think about the vaccine or vaccination in general, so that's that. Personally, I don't think that any sort of legislation can increase the vaccination rate without introducing radical changes to the vaccination rulebook, i.e. the legislation that regulates these matters."
Would you say that it is interesting that no one here is bringing up vaccinating children agreed five to 12 anymore anymore? Even though the CDC and the EMA – the US and European regulators, which we always follow – have approved it?
"That has never been approved here, and I don't know why. Also, we don't have the vaccine for children aged five to 12, i.e. the Pfizer 10-microgram vaccine. Children older than 12 can take the vaccine, but in the 12-18 age group only about 3.5 percent have been vaccinated. I suppose that the vaccination rate would be even lower in the five to 11 group. That's how things stand, unfortunately. I'd always support vaccination and not herd immunity at schools, given that the second school term has started."
Kurir.rs/Jelena S. Spasić
