The spokesperson for the Infectious Diseases management committee, Javier Arranz, stated in a radio program his forecast that the current wave of infections will unfold “unevenly in the different islands of the archipelago”. More specifically, the Health spokesperson said that Ibiza – the last island to experience the rise in infections along with Formentera – “could take a little longer” to overcome the difficult epidemiological situation it finds itself in.
Arranz stressed the effects of the vaccination campaign on the current epidemiological situation. “Most of the people currently being admitted to health centres in the Balearic Islands are not vaccinated, or have not received the full course,” he said, adding that without vaccines “this fourth wave would have been more chaotic and problematic”.
However, with regard to infections in nursing homes, the epidemiologist pointed out that being vaccinated does not prevent transmission of the virus. “The vaccines are good, above all, for preventing hospital admissions and serious problems,” he said. Infections in nursing homes “are cases without symptoms or very mild, when before there were deaths, and now that is not happening,” he said.
“The important thing is that the new positive cases emerging are not serious,” said Arranz, after adding that “there is still much to learn from this virus” and that, to return to normality, “it is necessary to get through to people who are still waiting to get vaccinated, either out of fear or because it’s summer and they want to go on holiday. The epidemiologist declared that “these are the people we would like to reach”.
“We have to focus on people in the 40 to 50 age bracket because of the possibility of any undesirable evolution of the virus, and on younger people to prevent them from infecting more vulnerable people”, he said weighing up the strategy to be followed.
The epidemiologist also pointed out that “the virus is changing significantly”, so he suggested “rethinking whether having 70% of the population vaccinated, which would provide herd immunity and could be reached by the end of summer, is the magic number or not.
Arranz also acknowledged that “the issue of the AstraZeneca vaccine could have been better explained”, although he wanted to reiterate that the Pfizer vaccination was offered to those under 60 years of age who were waiting to receive the second dose of the Anglo-Swedish vaccine.
Regarding the national decision to allow the sale of antigen tests in pharmacies, whose approval is scheduled for the next Council of Ministers, Arranz commented: “is a measure that I rate very highly because without a doubt, it will help”, although he said that before using them “you have to be very clear on what they are for. “I know that the College of Pharmacists of the Balearic Islands is very keen to provide clear information,” he added.
On the quarantine of close contacts with the full vaccination schedule, the expert proceeded to clarify that, according to the current strategy, it is not necessary for immunised people to isolate “if they positive with a variant other than the South African and Brazilian ones”.
Arranz also had words for the so-called UK Freedom Day, a decision that he does not share and described as “surprising and daring”. “In the Balearic Islands will be very alert to see how their decision evolves,” he concluded on the issue.