ِAbiad 'Welcomes' Decline in Virus Cases

Director at the Rafik Hariri University Hospital, Firass Abiad “welcomed” the continuous drop in the Covid numbers, but said it would be “too early” to be optimistic.

“The majority of the population remains without immunity to the virus. Even the post-infection immunity, acquired presumably in the January wave, will wane with time. Of course, vaccines can provide protection, but new virus variants may evade the acquired immunity,” said Abiad in a tweet.

Many individuals above 75 yrs category “have not yet registered on the platform to receive the vaccine. Out of those registered, 28% have still not been vaccinated. In other categories, and daily, hundreds still do not show up for their appointments,” he noted.

Warning of the new Indian variant, Abiad said it has “already been identified in nearby countries. As we approach the summer, the airport is recording higher levels of activity. Without quarantine, or genetic sequencing, we will neither stop, nor identify when the new strain arrives.”

People in Lebanon are “fed up with Covid, and desperate to resume economic activity in the midst of a financial crisis, and buoyed by the falling Covid numbers, the highly sociable Lebanese are resuming their gatherings, while throwing caution, and masks, to the wind.

“The faltering economy makes it harder for authorities to enforce, and for people to accept, restrictions. It also means hospitals are less prepared should a new Covid wave arrive. Moreover, many healthcare workers have left, further weakening existing health system capacity,” he emphasized.

“In short, the above mentioned factors combined could be detrimental if the new variant arrives. Currently, the only barrier to that happening seems to be divine providence. On the good side, more vaccines will be arriving in Lebanon soon. Let us hope it will not be too late,” concluded Abiad.