Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1245222
3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 10 MAY 2020 NEWS Cases 490 Imported 94 Local 394 Active 58 Recoveries 427 Deaths 5 LATEST DATA www.maltatoday.com.mt/covid19 JAMES DEBONO THE moment people start let- ting their guard down by not ad- hering to social distancing rules and basic norms like washing hands and not touching faces, the COVID-19 virus will strike back in a second wave which can be far more lethal than the first in terms of loss of life. The stark warning is made by Dr Chris Barbara, chairman of the Department of Pathology, who was part of the team of ex- perts which deployed Malta's successful strategy to contain the spread of COVID-19. "We have to get used to social distancing for a long period. But the virus is still lurking in the community. It has not been eliminated. It is still infecting people who do not experience any symptoms and are not even aware of it. The moment we give it an opportunity to spread, it will infect more people." Barbara's advice to the public is to keep their focus on abiding to social distancing rules as they have done so far. "We cannot af- ford to think that we have won the battle. We cannot let the vi- rus exploit new opportunities to spread." Barbara makes it clear that the public has gotten used to a long period of social distancing be- tween now and the availability of a vaccine, which remains the only way of securing herd im- munity. One of the risks recognized by Barbara is that Malta's success- ful record in diminishing the re- production rate of the virus may give a false sense of security. "We are very happy that we did so well. But this success was on- ly achieved because the public cooperated by abiding to social distancing rules. In that way we protected the most vulnerable, like our elderly… We avoided the over-running of our health services by new cases and we saved lives." He also recognises the "cru- elty" of expecting the elderly to live locked down in their houses like in "a cocoon". But any relaxation of these norms now could backfire. "It was thanks to this measure that we avoided loss of lives. We can't afford to let down our guard." Asked about the probability of a second wave, Barbara in- sists that this is hard to predict but he still believes that it is still avoidable. "A second wave may be avoided if people continue obeying public health directives on social distancing. It is not in- evitable." Asked whether there is a great- er chance of the virus making a comeback in autumn, Barbara insists that the second wave is not dependent on the seasons but will start the very moment people stop abiding to social dis- tancing rules. Asked about the gradual re- laxation of economic activities, Barbara insists that this is being done gradually and based on the low reproduction rate of the vi- rus in Malta. "Yet even if some economic sectors re-open, it does not mean that we are returning to normal- ity… There can be no normality until there is a vaccine. Let us not forget that in northern Ita- ly it was two cases which snow- balled into an epidemic. In the next months we have to learn to live with rules on social distanc- ing. There is no other way until a vaccine is available." He also dismisses the possibil- ity of achieving herd immunity in the absence of a vaccine. "The UK has tried this at a great hu- man cost. We cannot afford to put people's lives at risk." Barbara would not dare com- mit himself on a time-frame for the production of availability of a vaccine. "Basically we are here not just talking of protocols required to ensure that the vaccine is safe but we are also talking on the production of a vaccine for practically every living person in the planet, something which is bound to take time." The virus may be waiting in ambush waiting for an opportunity to strike back in a devastating second wave, Dr Chris Barbara, one of the experts leading Malta's successful COVID-19 fightback, warns Normality still far away, warns COVID-19 expert Dr Chris Barbara dismisses the possibility of achieving herd immunity in the absence of a vaccine. "The UK has tried this at a great human cost. We cannot afford to put people's lives at risk" Public health czar: now is not the time to open flights SUPERINTENDENT of Public Health Prof. Charmaine Gauci yesterday an- nounced one new case of the coronavirus, a Spanish male. The infected man had been teleworking. A woman who lived with him also had symptoms and was in quarantine. Eight others have been registered as having recovered from COVID-19 illness. Malta now has just 58 active cases. Since the start of the pandemic, Malta has registered 490 cases of coronavirus, including five deaths. In total, 428 per- sons have recovered from the illness. The situation is stable, Gauci said, ex- plaining that Malta was in a transition phase, where the authorities were mon- itoring the impact of measures they im- posed. She reiterated that the coopera- tion of the public was important if there is to be more relaxation of measures. Gauci emphasised the importance of so- cial distancing and the use of a face mask or visor. Masks must be worn properly and not under the nose, as this increases risk of contracting and negates the mask's protection, she said. Gauci observed that younger mothers could enjoy the day with their children today on Mothers' Day, but there are older mothers or mothers with chronic conditions who could not. She encour- aged the public to practise social distanc- ing even when visiting graveyards. "The biggest gift we can give our mothers is to protect their health." "Adhere to the mitigation measures and wear the mask correctly and when re- moving it from face, put it in a plastic bag to avoid contaminating your hands," said the Superintendent of Public Health. Asked whether she thought the coun- try would be opening up for flights, even from restricted places, before the end of the year, she pointed out that many coun- tries still had a raging pandemic. "Now is not the time to open flights," Gauci said. Future of travel 14-15