Deputy Health Minister Mina Gaga told media on Saturday that the Covid-19 pandemic will soon be over and that people will have to live with it like with a common flu. In an interview with news website iefirmerida.gr, Gaga estimated that things will be better in two to three weeks. however, people should comply with the measures. She predicted a quick de-escalation saying that soon the whole issue will be over.
The deputy health minister, who is a medical doctor by profession said that the Omicron variant seems to be now the dominant strain of the virus in Greece, as it concerns up to 90% of new Covid-19 cases.
“Internationally – and in our country – with the predominance of Omicron, there is a tendency of stabilization in the so-called hard markers (admissions to ICUs and deaths), which supports the view that this mutation causes a milder disease, especially in the fully vaccinated population,” Gaga told iefimerida.gr.
She stressed that the great contamination caused by Omicron should not be underestimated and that this can affect the proper operation of the health system.
With these data, it is still early to predict the end of the pandemic and it is very important to adhere to the measures, namely masks, avoiding crowding and the booster vaccination shot that provides a strong protection, the minister said.
“However, I am one of those who believe that we are heading towards the end. We have concluded two years, I think we are close to seeing Covid-19 evolve from now on like the flu. Of course, the virus will still exist, it will not disappear, it will be part of our lives. But we will return to normalcy,” Gaga said adding the whole story will be soon over, it’s a matter of weeks, as long as we have in mind to balance. We are in times of intense transmission, we have to wear mask, keep the measures, be careful.”
Gaga’s interview was posted by iefimerida.gr with the title “We finish with the pandemic, de-escalation is a matter of weeks.”
As scientists around the world are still analyzing the data of Omicron and no one knows when the pandemic is over or a new variant might be proven with storngest resistance to vaccines, our minister believes she know better.
Meanwhile, in Cyprus a new variant has been identified, the Deltacron, a mutation with both the strains of Delta and Omicron.
According to professor Leontios Kostrikis at the Biological Science Department of the University of Cyprus, the Deltacron mutation has been identified in 25 cases and it seems that the strains have a genetic background of the Delta mutation.
The new mutation was detected in 11 hospitalized patients and in 14 people of the general population and its frequency was higher among Covid-patients in hospitalization. More in Greek here.
POLL: And you, what do you think? When will the pandemic be over?
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One option is missing in the poll: “When the media stop reporting about the pandemic”.
right, when media don’t report on child births, there aren’t any etc etc
As as American, I am (terrified-because they will do it again) disgusted with the horrible cases/deaths per 100,000,000 population of the USA vs countries like Japan or India.
Granted, the US is full of people with BMI’s higher than 30 ( am a little high myself) but that is no excuse for a government that fought against early treatment before hospitalization (and Vaccines.)
Then how is her estimation in line with the increasing pressure of mandatory vaccination? It seems we are almost there, going from pandemic to endemic. I wish the governments and the media would report less one-sided in their approach, the bullying and scapegoating of those not wanting to be vaccinated (and most have good and logical reasons) is horrible. The likes of Macron and Trudeau as the master bullies, we need a turnaround and people not to be divided anymore.
“gaga” – nomen est omen
It will never be over until government has full control of every aspect of our lives. We’ll be driven around in robot cars eating insect burgers staring at ‘approved’ content on a Google phone. Anything else will be verboten.
Think I’m joking? Read policy papers coming out of various ‘Think Tanks’ and ‘Foundations’. No one else sets the narrative.
Why not just report the news KTG? Instead of adding your unnecessary opinions to every piece? People are generally tired of the restrictions, especially when there are so many illogical rules (in every country, not just Greece) and at some point there has to be a balance between containing the virus, or at least just protecting the vulnerable over 65’s, and getting on with life.
As I understand it, this is a blog with news (much appreciated) not a news agency or newpaper! Please, KTG, continue with your comments, they are both fun and “right on spot”. I would miss your vise cats comments 😉 🙂