Immunologist Antonella Viola against closures: irrational, blind, absurd decision

Immunologist Antonella Viola, full professor of General Pathology at the University of Padua and Scientific Director of the Institute of Pediatric Research (IRP-City of Hope), one of the “famous faces” of the Covid-19 pandemic, has intervened on Facebook to express her opposition to the closure measures (that of cinemas and theaters, but also that of gyms and swimming pools as well as the early closure of bars and restaurants at 6 p .m.) introduced by yesterday’s dpcm: Viola deems them too severe for the affected categories and of little use in containing contagion (“an irrational, blind, absurd decision,” the immunologist writes on her Facebook account). “The decision to impose the closure of bars and restaurants (because except in a few cases this means total closure, let’s not kid ourselves), gyms, theaters and cinemas means condemning entire families to despair and an entire country to unsustainable social tension,” she wrote.

“This is an irrational, blind, absurd decision,” Viola continued. “I don’t know if these measures will have an impact on the spread of contagions and, honestly, I don’t believe so, because people will still meet but in uncontrolled places (but I hope I’m wrong). It will certainly have a disastrous impact on the health of a great many individuals and the community as a whole. Over time, cases of depression, suicides, domestic violence will increase. Distance learning for all high school classes will help make the picture worse, both in the short and long term. For many kids, school is the only safe place, the only tool that can save them, the only place to socialize. I know that in the government someone fought to make sure this did not happen. Vice-Minister Sileri called me last night and expressed all his opposition to these unnecessary and harmful measures. But evidently irrationality has prevailed over balance.”

“A month from now,” the immunologist speculates, “we will find ourselves in a country still affected by the epidemic but in addition disintegrated economically and socially. What will we do then? What will be done at the end of November when we find that the measures have not had the impact we hoped for? Or, even if they do miraculously work, at that point what is the plan to get to the end of 2021, when perhaps the vaccine will actually be available to most of the population? What will be done in this month of new sacrifices so that as of November 24 everything can start working again? No answer on that. It is being navigated by sight because no one has thought to turn on the radar.”

“The radar,” Viola concludes, “is the data, the data that must have been collected over these months for tracking. That data that, if wisely used, should tell us where contagion is happening and where it is not. Radar is also foresight, the knowledge that the virus will not go away, that the vaccine will not be a quick fix, and that we cannot get by between lockdowns and curfews. Imposing such heavy choices without having a demonstration of their necessity and effectiveness is not acceptable.”

Pictured: Antonella Viola

Immunologist Antonella Viola against closures: irrational, blind, absurd decision

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