Covid, Schillaci: “Our priority is to protect the fragile”

“Manage cases of Covid-positive but asymptomatic children and young people, based on the school context and therefore the presence of other fragile children or teachers”. This is what the discussions of the school work table are oriented towards, the Minister of Health explains to the "Corriere della Sera", Orazio Schillaci, on the sidelines of meetings on preparation for new pandemics, on global insurance coverage and on tuberculosis, in which he participated at the United Nations. “We must learn from the past pandemic how important it is to invest in prevention. This also applies to Italy. And not only for Covid, but for oncological and chronic-degenerative diseases: we must change the paradigm, make it clear that investing in prevention is not a cost but an investment". The minister has repeatedly reassured that there is no reason to worry about Covid because the symptoms of the new variant are mild. The return to school is a bit worrying in Italy. “We need to have an attitude of calm, because the infection numbers have increased, in absolute numbers, but the summer and the reopening of schools were involved: two moments in which there is a large circulation of people. However, what we are looking at today is how many people are admitted to hospitals and how many unfortunately end up in intensive care for a more serious illness. This is absolutely under control today. It is clear that we are monitoring student-related problems very carefully."

“We have a working table – continues the minister – where, in addition to the Ministry of Education and Merit, the Ministry of Health, the Higher Institute of Health and the regions to arrive at a recommendation that, without causing alarm, keeps fragile people safe. Also because our attention, both in this phase and in the following one, which will begin next week with vaccination, is directed at older people, at frail people. Without alarmism, without imposing measures which, given the current epidemiology, seem to us absolutely not to be taken into consideration." "Recommendations are being studied that allow you to go to school peacefully, without returning to the restrictive measures of the past, which are no longer necessary. We are working to arrive at a joint document that contains these recommendations." “Our decisions – finally observes Schillaci – will be based on two key concepts. The first is that the disease no longer has the virulence characteristics of the past. The second is that after having brought Covid back into the category of transmissible respiratory diseases, after having removed the obligation of isolation for positive patients, we are evaluating the needs within classes and schools to protect children, teachers, and school staff who present elements of fragility", concluded the Minister of Health.