Covid, masks, isolation and vaccines again? What the Ecdc said

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control warns: "If it grows a lot, evaluate"

"In the event of a sustained increase in Covid 19 cases" masks, isolation and vaccination boosters could return. Or at least this is what the experts of the ECDC, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, recommend, reporting in recent weeks a slight increase in the circulation of Sars-CoV-2 in Europe, thanks to the new variant NB.1.8.1 or Nimbus.

If Covid increases significantly "key recommendations - explains the ECDC - include staying home when ill, adopting good respiratory and hand hygiene practices and ensuring adequate ventilation of indoor spaces. People at high risk of severe disease, as well as their caregivers and close contacts, should consider wearing a mask when in crowded public places. It is important that at-risk groups, including older people, keep up to date with vaccinations against Covid-19, according to national recommendations, to maintain protection against severe disease".

"Depending on the time since the last dose and the current epidemiological situation - adds the European center - additional doses of COVID-19 vaccine may be considered outside of scheduled vaccination campaigns for vulnerable groups, such as those aged 80 years and over or other eligible high-risk individuals, regardless of age, in order to maximize individual protection. Timely protection with available vaccines - concludes the ECDC - should be prioritized when individual risk is high, rather than waiting for the availability of updated vaccine formulations".

The current situation

"Vaccination coverage against COVID-19 in older people remains suboptimal in several European Union/European Economic Area countries, with only one country exceeding 80% coverage among people aged 80 years or older and 7 achieving coverage above 50%", underlines the ECDC. The agency reiterates that "anti-COVID vaccines continue to offer robust protection against severe forms", and recommends "maintaining timely and continuous surveillance and reporting, throughout the year, of respiratory viruses across the EU/EEA". And "in the event of a sustained increase in COVID-19 cases", the experts invite to evaluate the opportunity of specific protection measures and booster vaccinations.

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