How we got here

2020/08/18 Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Giza zientziak
• Medikuntza
• Etika
• Mikrobiologia
• Osasuna

A month ago elections were held in the Basque Country. According to Iñigo Urkullu Renteria and his colleagues, the covid-19 situation allowed people to call votes without too much risk of infection. It seemed that the virus was under control, or at least it seemed like that. By then, however, there had been reinventions there and here, so about two hundred people could not donate. There were therefore cracks in a supposed state of control.

Since then, in the context of summer activities, the reappearances have increased considerably in the whole of Hego Euskal Herria. So much so that the Basque Government Health Minister, Nekane Murga Eizagaetxebarria, announced last week that we are facing the second wave.

A few hours after the prediction, Fernando Simon Soria, spokesperson for the Spanish Center for the Coordination of Health Alerts and Emergencies, denied MMurga, arguing that the increase in cases occurred only in two of the three territories and that most of the infected were asymptomatic.

But discussing whether it is the second wave is sterile. There is no unified technical definition of the second wave, and discussions, outbreaks show that the virus continues among us.

The case tracking system allows more diagnostic tests, which favors the detection of more infected in relation to the period from March to June. This has meant a percentage increase in asymptomatic people, and based on this, some point out that the virus has weakened. However, this is not the case: it has been too long for a mutation to occur that weakens the virus and assumes and expands the other variants.

It is very likely that this will happen, that is, that the virus will adapt to us and that, together with group immunity, it will cease to be so serious. This is the trend of similar pathogens, as announced by covid-19 models. So, like the flu, it would become seasonal. But this would not be good news either, as the union between the flu and covid-19 would risk the health system overflowing for a few months.

While all this happens, the virus can hit as hard as in spring and it is not possible to palliate its blows without taking effective measures. In the sokatira between the protection of economic activity and health care, health is losing. And the responsibility is not exclusive to the people, even if the authorities say so. It is theirs, or especially theirs.

It is imperative to take into account the behavior of people when setting standards. We are social animals, there are behaviors that match our star and it is very difficult to change them. Even more difficult, if pedagogy is not done, if reasonable, effective and coherent measures are not adopted and contrary attitudes are not prevented.