The interview with Massimo Ciccozzi
di Beatrice Passarelli
14 April 2022 - Prof. Massimo Ciccozzi, head of the Statistics and Epidemiology Unit, does the prevalence of the Omicron variant mark the beginning of an endemic phase of the disease? Omicron, and its subvariants, increasingly resemble normal human coronaviruses with mild symptoms, at least in vaccinated subjects. Endemization, i.e. the constant but stable presence of the virus in the population, is only a matter of time.
Even if we cannot rule it out, it is unlikely that the virus will mutate again in the future into a form more dangerous to humans. What are the individual behaviors that it is good not to abandon in the coming months? The end of the state of emergency does not equate to the end of the pandemic, so we must continue to behave prudently by following what scientific data says. It is early to remove the mask indoors but also outdoors, in case of gatherings.
What does the management of Covid-19 leave us to prepare for a new pandemic? The factors involved in the spread of an epidemic worldwide are diverse and unpredictable. Covid-19 teaches us that surveillance, both epidemiological and genomic, is essential. Furthermore, it is necessary to strengthen local medicine, building a network of sentinel doctors ready to quickly identify the circulating virus.
