Speaking to Lusa, the researcher at the Institute of Molecular Medicine at the University of Lisbon said that he agrees with the director of the World Health Organization (WHO) for Europe, who recently admitted that the pandemic may soon end on the continent.

“I agree with the WHO. This is the normal evolution of viruses and pandemics. This is what science tells us over the last 100 years”, said Pedro Simas, for whom the asymmetries of vaccination that still exist between several European countries are making it take longer to declare the transition from pandemic to endemic.

On Sunday, the WHO responsible for Europe, Hans Kluge, considered that, given the recent increase in cases of contamination caused by the Omicron variant, health policies should now focus on “minimizing disruption and protecting vulnerable people”, rather than seeking to reduce the intensity of transmission of the virus.

According to Pedro Simas, in the case of Portugal, which has about 90% of the population with a complete vaccination against Covid-19, the numbers in intensive care remain “very stable”, which proves the effectiveness of the vaccine against serious illness and death.

“There should be no one in Portugal who does not have immunity to this virus”, acquired through the vaccine, but also from the natural immunity generated by infection with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which should already reach about 60% of the population, said the virologist.

In view of this immunization rate, the country “has to go back to normality” with some exceptions, which include vaccinating at risk groups with the third dose.

Drop the mask

For the researcher, the widespread use of a mask is no longer necessary at this stage, the screening test for SARS-CoV-2 should only be done “in a hospital context” and it is up to families to “do their own self-management” through tests.

“It is very important that the Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge continues to monitor the variants, but it is not expected that a variant will appear that destroys our protective immunity. In principle, this will not happen”, said Pedro Simas, for whom “Portugal has been endemic for a long time”.

Regarding confinements, Pedro Simas said that, currently, “they are not very efficient”, not least because the country continues to have a high rate of SARS-CoV-2 infections.

“We have to assume our condition, and since the National Health Service is not in 'stress' (intensive care), it makes no sense to isolate children and entire families at home, when it is not even an absolute confinement”, he advanced.

According to the expert, confining around 10% of the population – around one million people – “ends up interfering with society”, without this having an effect on preventing infections.

“There were times of severe and total confinement, there were times to test, there were times to vaccinate and even with the third dose, now is the time not to test and to be suspicious”, advocated Pedro Simas, stressing that these decisions have to be taken with care and based on science.

Bearing in mind that in the coming days the world will reach the “historic” milestone of 10 billion vaccines administered, the virologist estimates that, within a few months, the WHO may announce that the “pandemic will end this year”, considering not only the vaccinated world population, but also the natural immunity acquired.