Julius Kalibatas: Coronavirus: Why Masks Are Needed and Why Teachers Don’t Need Rapid Tests



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On the one hand, it goes without saying that reducing the number of diseases, infections and deaths requires limiting the spread of the virus, which requires measures such as quarantine, border closures, isolation of former people in contact with infected people, self-isolation, use of masks. , distance compliance, etc. All this destroys the economies of the states, depletes financial resources and causes more or less psychological stress to some people.

On the other hand, the reduction of various prohibitions improves the economic situation, reduces the psychological problems caused by various prohibitions in society, but increases the probability that the number of infections, diseases and deaths in the population will increase.

The dilemma is how to find half the gold.

Different countries around the world have chosen different ways to fight the coronavirus. For example, if Sweden chose a fairly liberal way to prevent coronavirus, then Lithuania, of course, did not start applying maximum virus control measures not at the beginning, but much later (some say it is too late). What was right the future will show.

I really don’t want to delve into the various conspiracy theories that the virus was created in labs, so some already have the vaccine and are waiting for hundreds of millions more infected to sell that vaccine for fabulous money or that it’s a common virus and the problem is artificially inflated for again, vaccine protection and trade companies could swallow billions of dollars and so on. I understand that various restrictions, such as the mandatory use of masks, keeping distance between people, limiting the number of people in public gatherings and the like, cause great psychological problems for some people, which is why various movements have already started in the world anti-pesticides against any restrictions. and Lithuania.

There are many sayings on social media that wearing masks is pointless, violates our dignity, most people get sick with a combat infection easily, and if their ancestors died, they would have died anyway, and an infection for coronavirus is not here. I certainly agree that the elderly are the most vulnerable to coronavirus, especially those with a variety of serious chronic diseases with a weakened immune system. But it is also indisputable that young people are sick and dying. After all, there are already more than 25 million people infected with the COVID-19 virus in the world, and the number of deaths from it will soon exceed one million. Mortality is 3.7%, compared to just 0.05% for influenza.

CIVID-19 is a truly global problem because, unlike others, this virus, which is particularly resistant to temperature, does not respond to seasonal climate change, does not weaken (or not as much as other viruses) when jumping from a person to another, it does not develop stable immunity. The protective antibody titer in the human body lasts only 3-4 months. Therefore, recurrent infections and illnesses are possible. When we have the vaccine against COVID-19, then we can say that there is no need for masks, distances or any other means of protection.

For the moment, I really want to support A.Verygas, who talks about the need for masks in meeting places, public transport, shops, cafes, etc., even if the effectiveness of those masks is only 40-60 percent. Even partial protection is better than none, as not everyone can buy the latest generation of respirators with more than 90 percent protection. Of course, the distance between people is very important, but I want to remind you that when you cough or sneeze, the smallest droplets of secretion can fly up to 7 m. Therefore, it is particularly important to protect yourself from the elderly.

And now very briefly about the beginning of the school year.

Unfortunately, there has been tireless talk of reforms in the education system for a long time, which, despite all the beautiful languages, has now survived in terms of financial and human resources. Let’s make sure the coronavirus doesn’t completely end it. All the very sensible instructions of the Ministry – division of classes, regulation of the flow of students, different entrances and exits, respect of distances and the like – are very beautiful, but difficult to implement in practice.

Certainly, there is a great risk that schools will become sources of coronavirus despite all the safeguards in place. Worse still, teachers will become experimental rabbits at the expense of which rapid tests are currently needed for the detection of antibodies to COVID-19 in the human body, showing that a person has a coronavirus infection. Since the coronavirus develops only short-term immunity for 3-4 months, a person can get sick again. Therefore, in this case, these tests do not make sense.

Students who visibly relapse easily or without clinical signs become the main source of infection and teachers the main target of the virus. To really help teachers, it is necessary to evaluate them like all medical personnel and find out if they are infected with the virus or pose a risk to students and those around them. And if the ministry has nowhere to put the rapid tests, then that is another problem for the health ministry. Apparently the only way out for schools is distance education.

Prof. skilled. Dr. Julius Kalibatas is the president of the Lithuanian Association of General Practitioners.



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