Should you worry about bird flu? Answered by Adolfo García Sastre, virologist

Talking to a virologist

A WHO spokesman retracted his testimony and said the death of a 59-year-old man in Mexico last April infected with a strain of bird flu was not linked to the disease, as the organization had previously said.

After what happened “All lies” contacted live with Adolfo García Sastre, virologistfind out their opinion on this matter and answer questions that arose as a result of the topic.

Adolfo said that “we are playing Russian roulette with bird flu,” and explained his words: “The flu will last as long as it takes, but it will cause a pandemic.” “It may take one day and it will be difficult tomorrow, but maybe in 20 years we will have a pandemic.”

“Right now it’s very difficult to prevent what’s happening with the influenza virus. It is widespread in nature, and there are variants that can infect mammals that are poorly transmitted between them, with the exception of cows, where it appears that in the United States the virus has been able to adapt to cows, it is possible. that it can also adapt when transmitted to humans,” explains the virologist.

It also indicates that because the virus exists in nature, it is more difficult to control, which is what increases the likelihood that a variant will emerge and at some point be transmitted to humans.

As for whether we’ll be ready face a new pandemicAdolfo said: “The good news is that we not only have vaccines, but we also have antiviral drugs that we know work. The bad news is that we won’t have enough for everyone, and if a pandemic hits, we will have to start producing existing vaccines and produce antiviral drugs in large quantities, and that will take the longest time.”