With a vaccination to the rhythm of vertigo, Chile does not stop the coronavirus: what is happening?

Speed vaccination at Chile continues at a dizzying pace. The calendar has changed and the country is already inoculating 23-year-olds on Tuesday.

Monday, the Institute of Public Health authorized the vaccination of minors between 16 and 12 years old with the drug Pfizer, and will be added to the schedule starting June 15.

However, daily reports of those infected have risen, several times in recent weeks, to more than 8,000 cases, the highest numbers in the pandemic.

With 8,005,000 people vaccinated with both doses -Of 15,200,240 possible and 10,650,000 with the first, why are the critical patient units still operating at the limit and the number of records being recorded?

The effectiveness of vaccines

The first answer comes from science. In Israel, the dramatic drop in cases began to be felt when the country reached the 40% of the population covered with both doses.

In Chile, this figure is already from 52.7%, although not all of these people have passed 14 days after the second dose, the window in which neutralizing antibodies are generated.

The Trans-Andean country vaccinates with formulas from three different laboratories, each with different degrees of efficiency before the virus.

About 75% of people vaccinated received the vaccine Sinovac, A Chinese private laboratory, whose Coronavac vaccine was authorized Tuesday by the World Health Organization.

Data for these doses are encouraging: in the real world studies (phase IV) of Chile, Uruguay and Brazil, prevent more than 80% chance of developing severe symptoms, fall into intensive care or die.

However, not as effective as Pfizer at preventing infections. On average, among their Phase 3 studies, the effectiveness of Coronavac in preventing infections is just over 60%.

These data mean that in order to achieve an effect like that of Israel, the percentage of vaccinated with the full regimen in Chile must be upper reduce the rate of disease transmission in its streets.

Third dose?

In newspaper statements The country from Uruguay, the head of the phase IV study of Sinovac in Chile, Rafael Araos, stressed that even the country “should vaccinate 100% and three times “, to obtain real collective immunity.

This, alluding to what several laboratories have already indicated on the need for a third dose or “booster” towards the end of the year.

In addition, the country continues to receive vaccines from Pfizer and Astrazeneca.

There will be around 6 million Chileans who will receive doses from these laboratories.

Most of them are young people, who are the most exposed to community transmission because they have not given up social activities to take care of themselves.

The Chilean authorities hope that as the timetable progresses among these people, collective immunity begins to be achieved, knowing that they are more effective in completely preventing the disease.

The Manaus variant

Genomic analyzes of the virus have multiplied in Chile. The country does about 500 a week.

The results provided by the Department of Health Statistics and Information (DEIS) show that the presence of the Manaus variant in all regions of the country.

A variant which, according to scientific studies published in scientific journals The Lancet Yes Nature, has two characteristics that make it more difficult to control: affects young people more aggressively and spreads faster.

Precisely, the average age of people in intensive care units Chilean women reaffirm this, he told Bugle the undersecretary for health networks, Alberto Dougnac.

Younger patients

“The number of patients over 70 entering intensive care has remained stable in recent weeks. To date, only 5% of confirmed cases of Covid-19 correspond to this age group, “he explains.

And that adds a telling fact about the behavior of the virus in recent months. “On the other hand, the under 50s, who correspond to the population who present lowest vaccination rates, showed a significant increase in terms of ICU admissions due to Covid-19, currently representing more than 40% of patients occupying a critical bed and 77% of cases confirmed daily, ”said Dougnac.

The government decided speed up vaccination in these age groups and he hopes to vaccinate 80% of the target population with at least one dose by the end of June.

However, here the behavior of vaccines comes into play again. While Pfizer manages to generate immunity 74% of the time after the first dose, Sinovac requires both doses have some effect.

Less effective quarantines

At the end of March, the Minister of Health of Chile, Enrique Paris, had promised the Chileans a “last effort” to contain the pandemic.

The numbers were getting worse and even the constituent elections were postponed until May. As cases have declined, in recent days they have increased again.

Quarantines in Chile no longer able to reduce mobility within WHO recommended standards for “confinement” (in a ratio of 8 to 1, or 8 people locked up by a move).

During the month of April, in full quarantine, what could have reduced mobility the most was 40% compared to a normal day.

Emotional exhaustion and need to go out to work, especially from informal workers, are the most recurrent arguments of those walking in the streets.

Polarization

The climate of polarization in the country has made it impossible for the government of Sebastián Piñera to control the economic crisis, with regard to the pockets of his compatriots.

Although the $ 150 per household member that the government gives to the most vulnerable 80% seems a luxury for the neighborhood, the internal climate of the country and a more reactive than active attitude on the part of the government does not allow it to control. the agenda. The feeling of inadequacy is still latent.

Despite all the above, at the end of this column, the Chilean Central Bank delivered the growth for the month of April: 14.1%, the third of April with the strongest expansion in history.

Good news amid a pandemic which, although it seems closer than far to ending in Chile, is still hitting the neighboring country hard.

Santiago, special for Clarin

CB