Under the title "World Health Organization Warns: COVID-19 Has Become Smarter in Its Spread!", Al Arabiya.net published a report on the transmission methods of the coronavirus. Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist at the World Health Organization, confirmed that nearly all COVID-19 vaccines significantly protect against severe cases that often lead to hospitalization or death. She warned that the coronavirus has become more adept at spreading, especially in gatherings. Dr. Swaminathan made this statement during an interview with Vismita Gupta Smith in episode 34 of the WHO's "Science in Five" series, which aims to raise awareness and educate about all matters related to the novel coronavirus, detailing information about the virus and its variants, as well as the effectiveness of vaccines against it and the impact of gatherings during the holiday season on the rise in infection rates.
A Reuters report indicated that more than 140.18 million people have contracted the novel coronavirus worldwide, with total deaths due to the virus reaching three million and 142,002. Infections have been recorded in over 210 countries and regions since the first cases were discovered in China in December 2019. The WHO's Chief Scientist pointed out that even if vaccines may not completely prevent infection, the immunity developed by the body in response to vaccination is generally strong enough to protect against severe disease, even if infection occurs.
### Expectations of Greater Protection After the Second Dose
Dr. Swaminathan noted that insights gained from some countries, such as Israel and the United Kingdom, which have been studied systematically, show that individuals who received the first dose have about 70 to 80% protection against infection. She mentioned that after the second dose, these percentages might be higher. She further explained that current percentages may vary from one vaccine to another, so generalizations cannot be made, as scientists still need to gather more data.
### Precautions Are Essential and Vaccines Are Effective Against Variants
She expressed the importance of remembering that even when a person is vaccinated, they must adhere to all other precautions and public health measures recommended by the WHO, as each of these actions indeed adds further protection. Regarding the extent of protection provided by vaccines and whether booster shots are needed for protection against variants, Dr. Swaminathan stated that what has been proven so far is that if a person receives a full vaccination course, there is generally sufficient protective immunity in the body against severe disease, including infections with variants.
She added that in countries with widespread variants, vaccinated individuals do not end up in the hospital or face the risk of death if they contract the infection. Therefore, she believes the overall news is positive, as companies and laboratories worldwide are working on newer versions of vaccines that can accommodate proteins from variant viruses. She is hopeful that in the coming months, results from clinical trials investigating these modified vaccines will be revealed, which will help in deciding whether booster shots are necessary.
### Crowded Environments as Infection Hotspots
The interviewer, Vismita Gupta Smith, asked about the widespread sense of fatigue resulting from prolonged isolation and social distancing, and how this may lead people to engage in gatherings, whether small family gatherings or larger ones, and what impact this has on increasing infection rates. Dr. Swaminathan replied that it has been known for some time how the virus spreads, particularly due to close contact between people and crowded environments, as well as gatherings in poorly ventilated indoor spaces, where it can spread more efficiently from person to person.
### More Severe Variants
She added that it is also known that many of the currently circulating variants are much more severe in terms of spreading at rates 1.5 to 2 times faster. According to the WHO's Chief Scientist, the virus has become smarter in its spread; it is simply looking for opportunities in crowded gatherings—whether wedding parties, artistic events, cafes, restaurants, or whether they are sports or religious events—each of these occasions has the potential to become a hotspot for widespread infection.
### Huge Increases Following Gatherings
Dr. Swaminathan said that from many documented research studies conducted last year, mass gatherings led to significant increases in infections, which usually appear after about two weeks. With all this information, she emphasized the importance of understanding that while everyone wants to return to normal life, this is not the right time to relax and abandon precautionary measures, as vaccination programs in most countries have not even begun to approach the levels of herd immunity needed by the world.
She added that it must be acknowledged that those who engage in such activities without any precautions should realize that they are not only putting themselves at risk but also posing a threat to the lives of their loved ones and friends, especially the elderly and vulnerable members of the community.
