We can fight the virus with these four means. — © The National Crisis Center
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The number of corona infections continues to rise to an average of 502.1 per day. The number of hospital admissions is also increasing, albeit slightly. The number of deaths continues to fall.
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“We have seen an increase in the figures, for five days already, in almost all provinces, and in all age groups,” Yves Van Laethem begins. “The Brussels-Capital Region has 132 infections, on average per day. An increase of 13 percent compared to the previous week. In Antwerp, an average of 101 new infections were diagnosed per day, an increase of 21 percent. ” In the other provinces, the number of infections is also increasing, with increases between 12 and 33 percent. In absolute figures, Brussels and Antwerp remain in the lead.
The figures are rising again: an average of 502 infections per day. — © National Crisis Center
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“It remains important to protect us properly”, adds Boudewijn Catry. “We have four options for fighting the virus: the first the possibility is social distance, wearing mouth masks and washing hands. The second the possibility is to treat the disease. No medicine can fight the virus now. A third option is herd immunity, meaning 60 to 70 percent of people must be immune. Even in countries where this has been tried, group immunity does not exceed 20 percent, such as in the Swedish capital Stockholm. We risk paying a great price for group immunity. A fourth option is vaccination: the most efficient and safest way to protect people. Consider the polio vaccine. But now there is no vaccine yet, so the first means – distance, mask and hand washing – remains very important.
“Vaccine next spring”
Van Laethem explains how a vaccine works: “The principle is to bring a person into contact with a particle of the virus, and to build up immunity without that person becoming ill. Such a part is called an antigen. In the case of corona, the antigen is a protein from the coronavirus, a ‘spike’. This method is similar to how the flu vaccine is put together. Our immune system will learn to respond to the virus. ”
Where are we standing right now? “The international investigation has started since the start of the epidemic in February. There are several candidate vaccines. Several are now in the clinical phase with human testing. In the first phase, safety is tested on a few dozen people. In a second phase it is about, in a third phase it is checked whether people are protected who come into contact with the virus. It concerns thousands of people, some of whom receive a placebo. This way we get thorough proof of whether a vaccine works. Today trials have been interrupted (at AstraZeneca, ed.) Because one person experienced serious side effects. This proves that the safety mechanisms work. The first vaccine is expected in the spring of next year. The medicines agency (FAMHP) will keep a close eye on this. ”
What are the priority target groups? “They are determined by the Superior Health Council. First and foremost, these are all health care workers, in the broad sense of the word. This way they can continue to fight the pandemic. Then it is about who is most vulnerable: people older than 65 years, and people between 45 and 65 years with risk factors. Depending on the studies and investigations, other groups may be included. We cannot emphasize enough that there is currently no vaccine, so we must continue to follow the ground rules. ”
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