The discovery last Thursday of a new variant of the coronavirus in South Africa triggered a chain reaction as brutal as it was unexpected. Within hours, many countries announced they were closing their borders to travelers from southern Africa or tourists. France, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, Canada and the United States were among the first to take this decision last week; Australia, Japan and the Philippines followed suit on Monday.
The WHO and South Africa calls on Sunday evening to the “immediate and urgent lifting” of travel restrictions have, for the time being, remained a dead letter. And the latest statements from the WHO – which says the Omicron variant presents “a very high risk” globally – is unlikely to change the situation. However, many experts are skeptical about the effectiveness of such a measure.
Impulsive reaction and short-term solution
First, because this immediate reaction, less than a week after the discovery of Omicron, looks more like a reflex measure than a thoughtful action. Studies on this variant are still ongoing and its degree of contagiousness and dangerousness is unknown at this stage. “The countries do it perhaps by imitation and because it is what is simplest, analyzes Anne Sénequier, doctor and co-director of the Observatory of the world health. We are on a “here and now” temporality based on the fear generated by this variant. “
Above all, to imagine that closing the borders or isolating people at home will make the virus disappear is “illusory”, insists Alice Desbiolles, doctor specializing in public health. “Like most infectious pandemics that we know, this one will be long-lasting. There are going to be other variants, just like there is a new variant of the flu every year. Are we going to take these measures every time? It is an endless race at significant economic, health, social and democratic cost. “For the expert, we should take the time to question the” effectiveness, objective and purpose “of the measures taken, particularly in the light of past experiences …
A method that has already shown its ineffectiveness
“Responding with the same reflex as two years ago or when the Delta variant appeared shows that we have not learned anything”, sighs Anne Sénequier, author of the book. Geopolitics, quite simply. Such measures were taken when the Delta variant was discovered in India last spring. It now represents 97% of cases detected in France. Even countries that imposed extremely strict quarantine measures to enter their territory, such as China, Australia or New Zealand, have failed to escape the virus. At best, this limits the number of infected people who arrive in the territory, “but what matters is the ability of the virus to spread,” said Alice Desbiolles. This is notably the reason why the closing of the borders when the Delta variant, which is more transmissible, was discovered had no effect.
Banning flights from certain destinations also means that people are traveling from point A to point B by plane and transmitting the virus in a short period of time. “This does not take into account other means of transport, possible stopovers and an incubation period of 14 days”, underlines Anne Sénequier. Especially since the virus is already in Europe. If in France, the Directorate General of Health (DGS) continues the sequencing of eight probable cases, proven cases have been identified in Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom … In Scotland, among the six cases discovered, some have no connection with a trip abroad, proof that the virus is already circulating. The borders, however, are still open.
Lack of international coordination
The co-director of the World Health Observatory recalls, moreover, that this closure of the borders is in “complete violation” with the international health regulations of 2005. “It stipulates that in the event of a health problem in one of the member countries, there can be no ostracization on the part of the international community, ”emphasizes Anne Sénequier. The situation seems all the more unfair as it illustrates the limits of the Covax program and the poor distribution of vaccines between the countries of the North and the South: the appearance of new variants occurs mainly in poorly vaccinated areas where the virus is circulating. more actively.
This violation, failing to have a significant impact on the circulation of the virus could, on the other hand, have a very strong psychological impact. “South Africa has played transparency vis-à-vis the WHO and behind the international reaction is that everyone is closing their borders”, continues the expert. In the future, other countries may be tempted to hide this information out of fear that the rest of the world will turn its back on them.