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Virologist Pedro Simas said this Sunday that Portugal is experiencing an abrupt reduction in the number of new infections, as a result of the confinement, which could place the country among one of the best in the world to control the third wave of the pandemic.
“We were one of the best in the world in the first confinement, the worst in the origin of the third wave and we will be one of the countries in the world that soon managed to control the third wave because in reality there was a fantastic Adhesion to the confinement and the result it is in sight, “said Pedro Simas in statements to the Lusa agency.
Viruses, he said, are transmitted by droplets, and if confined movements, the use of masks and social distance are inhibited, the chains of transmission are abruptly interrupted.
“This was perfectly predictable and depended on good behavior and adherence to total confinement and what I see is that there was fantastic adherence and the result is clear because the biology is real. If there are no contacts and people adhere to the rules, viruses cannot be transmitted. It’s in our hands. That is why the downward curve is so steep, ”stressed the virologist from the Molecular Institute of the University of Lisbon.
Pedro Simas said that from January 28 to February 6, Portugal went from an average of 12,890 cases to 7,270 cases.
“It’s fantastic. It is doing so well that after two weeks there has been a significant decrease in the number of deaths. On January 31 we had an average of 288 deaths in the last seven days and now we have 253.” It is also a trend here and this means that we have good health services and, despite the difficulties, the National Health Service is working well. We only have reason to be proud“, said.
The closure of schools was decisive for Pedro Simas due to this inflection of the growth curve. “The closing of schools was decisive because it is a clear message for Portuguese society. When schools are closed it is because the matter is serious,” he said, adding that having open schools implied a lot of movement of adults.
The virologist warns that it is now very important to learn from the past and realize that you have to be suspicious of the rules so that Portugal does not run a greater risk of the resurgence of a fourth wave, recalling that it was the relaxation of measures before, during and after Christmas that gave rise to the third wave of the virus.
“We already understand the dynamics of the virus. How can we control it? At the level of society, adhering to the rules of physical distance, the use of the mask and inhibit unnecessary contacts as much as possible“, he is stressed.
The combination of these factors, he argued, will make a difference in gaining freedom. keep the level of infections at acceptable levels.
Pedro Simas reinforces the need for caution in the uncertainty, arguing that it should only be considered when the country reaches between 700 and 1,400 new cases per day.
“It would be great and we would be at a great level of security where by following the rules we could control and avoid a fourth wave,” he said, noting that It is possible that in two or three weeks Portugal will achieve these ideal security values. to make a decision on deflation. “It is when the numbers allow it because they are a direct effect of our behavior and directly reflect whether we are in control or not,” he emphasized.
Pedro Simas also pointed out that there is an exponential decrease in the number of infections in the world.
“From February until now it has been rising all over the world until December 23rd. Between 23 and 28 it dropped a bit, rising again until January 11. From January 11 to February 6 it has always been going down. There has never been such a big decline around the world, ”he said, noting this as a positive note, but noting that there is concern about a possible fourth wave, so it is necessary and decisive to be careful in the post-containment.
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