The American infectious disease specialist recommends expanding immunization coverage, designing vaccinations to guard against variants, and developing better vaccines.

The flu is not the same as Covid-19. Countries in the middle of a pandemic should think about how many people died from the virus at least in the first wave, when the pandemic is still going on.

A study conducted at the Hospital del Mar in Barcelona found that people over the age of 18 who are hospitalized for Covid-19 have a higher risk of complications and death than those with flu, despite being younger and having fewer chronic illnesses.

The coronavirus situation is under control – and is still better than it was – but the pandemic is not yet ended, according to infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci.

The American scientist told the Associated Press on Wednesday that we are in a “different moment of the pandemic”. There has been a slowdown since the outbreak in the winter, and “we’ve now decelerated and transitioned into more of a controlled phase.”

He told PBS yesterday that the United States “has come out of the pandemic phase” and the Washington Post that the country has finally “come out of the explosive phase of the pandemic”.

According to the Associated Press, his remarks demonstrate how health officials have reached a point where they are battling to keep imports under control and learn to deal with an unexpected infection.

In the US the cases are at the lowest point for months, while two-thirds of the population has been vaccinated. About half of those eligible for a booster dose has done so. 

“We are much, much better off than we were a year ago,” Fauci said.

What is needed from now on, as he said a series of actions such as increasing the number of vaccinated and developing better vaccines. In addition, we need to find the best booster policy to fight the virus variants and ensure that those who need them have easy access to treatments.

As he says “We can’t take our foot off the pedal”, warning that in the future there may be a new variant that will bring a new wave.

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