The president of the Dominican Society of Infectious Diseases, Rita Rojas, defended the coronavirus vaccines that have been approved so far.
“It is very important for people to understand that all the vaccines that have been approved so far and that have clinical studies are all good,” said the chief of the Infectology Department at General Hospital Plaza de la Salud.
He said these vaccines provide an acceptable rate of immunity, citing as an example the flu vaccine we are using, which is not 90% effective, but 50 to 60%.
“So if we say that a Covid vaccine has 70 to 95 percent efficacy, of course all vaccines are good,” he insisted.
He explained that what the vaccine is looking for is to create an antibody which is the response that the human body gives to strangers coming in, called antigens, which in this case is the virus.
“If we get to that, nationally, 70 or 80 percent of people have these antibodies, then we’re talking herd immunity and we can defend ourselves and fight this disease,” argued Dr. Rojas.
He advised that until the vaccines arrive, the population should not be on their guard and adhere to the protocol established by the health authorities that consists of the use of masks, social distance and hygiene, especially constant hand washing.
Heartbreaking drama
Rita Rojas defined as a heartbreaking drama the experiences that doctors on the front lines of the fight against Covid-19 have had, especially those who have lost the fight against the virus.
Dr. Rita Rojas, the infectious disease coordinator at Plaza de la Salud General Hospital, said it was during those moments that they witnessed the last virtual conversation between a coronavirus patient and his family members, whom they have been away from since the infection was diagnosed. .
Rojas, who is also an internist, explained that participating in a final interview is always difficult and, contrary to what is believed that only the elderly die from the coronavirus, many young people have also died.
Interviewed by Héctor Herrera Cabral on the D´AGENDA program broadcast every Sunday on Telesistema Canal 11, she recalled that every death in particular is an indescribable drama.
He explained that another thing that is seen is feelings of guilt, such as that a grandson took part in a social activity and infected the dying grandfather when infected.
‘It is of course a drama, because you make promises that you don’t keep, or you know that those promises will not be kept, or maybe he serves as an envoy of congratulations by, for example, taking part in the last conversations via a screen. we have placed a number of patients so that the relatives can talk and tell them to be calm, eat what we give them, that they are there and that joining a final conversation will always be difficult, ”he repeated.
Dr. Roja adds that the doctors are longing for the situation in the health centers to return to what it was a year ago, because they do not want to continue living at the pace they are doing now.
“And looking at the human side, what have we been through this year, because it’s not easy to watch people die alone, because it’s the only pathology where the family can’t be with their loved ones,” recalls the infectious disease specialist.
He explained that, in addition to their job, the doctors take the place of the family member to convince the grandfather what to eat, stick a letter his relatives sent him on the wall, accompany him to eat and bathe, what not his turn to the doctor, but in the midst of that circumstance he has to do it ”, he explained.
The Plaza de la Salud’s chief of infectology insisted that another embarrassing situation is what happens to people who have received organ transplants and are infected with the coronavirus.
“On the other hand, transplants, for example, after a person has received a kidney or liver who has survived up to seven years with this transplant, it is very difficult to lose it,” complained Dr. Rita Rojas.
He said that, despite the Dominican Republic having some of the lowest death rates in terms of pandemic, people should know that this is not a game and that they should help doctors and protect themselves and their families.
Rojas said doctors are very tired, especially those on the front lines of the fight against the coronavirus, because of the hard work they have had to do.
He assured that there are no money or incentives to reward the intensity of the day they are exposed to, bearing in mind that the Dominican doctor is the only one who gives his phone number to the patient, and upon leaving the clinical center, they remain receive phone calls from those patients or their relatives, even late into the night.
Return to classrooms
Dr. Rita Rojas, President of the Dominican Society of Infectology, encourages students under the age of 12 to attend co-educational.
“ That for children under 12 years the mixed class is appreciated, of course on the basis of protocols, we already have some examples, in Wisconsin, the United States has done a study with five thousand children, they were put on their masks and distanced themselves of more than six feet wash hands with alcohol and gel, and among teachers and students, only seven people of those 5,000 students were infected, ”the internist said.
Plaza de la Salud Hospital’s Chief of Infectious Diseases explained that this is a piece of information that would be good for the authorities of the Ministry of Education.
He clarifies that this is a personal position that he holds, because in the Dominican Society of Infectious Diseases that he leads, there are doctors who take a position that is contrary to his approach.