“Covid is going nowhere, get vaccinated” – leading Thai virologist
One of Thailand’s most prominent virologists says the Covid-19 virus is going nowhere and everyone should get vaccinated. According to a Nation Thailand report, Yong Poovorawan took to social media to say the virus is here to stay and society will need to live with it. However, vaccination will offer protection from serious illness, hospitalisation, or death.
Yong made reference to the first SARS virus in 2003 – SARS-CoV-1 – which could not be contained, despite attempts then to achieve herd immunity. While there have been no reported cases of SARS-CoV-1 since 2004, the world is now battling SARS-CoV-2, better known as Covid-19.
According to Yong, the arrival of the Delta variant accelerated transmission, presenting a tougher challenge for the world. He says that any attempt at herd immunity requires at least 60 – 70% of the population to be vaccinated. However, he adds that while the vaccine can prevent serious illness and death, it will never completely wipe out Covid-19 and therefore herd immunity will not be 100% effective at preventing transmission.
He says the situation is similar to that of the influenza vaccine, which offers protection against the risk of death but does not completely prevent infection. Yong’s call to get the vaccine comes as the government has pledged to get tough on people who have yet to come forward for their first dose.
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SOURCE: Nation Thailand
