The epidemiologist Gerald Gartlehner sees a massive wave of infections with hospital overload and many deaths coming. Still, he wants to loosen up.
So far, Austria has had a negative corona record with almost 16,000 new infections in just one day in November 2021. If Omikron will exceed that, moderator Armin Wolf wanted to know from epidemiologist Gerald Gartlehner of Danube University Krems on Tuesday evening on ORF “ZiB 2”. “I’m afraid,” said the Corona expert, that there is no reason to assume that Omikron will hit Austria differently than the other countries with record numbers of infections.
Lots of sick people, lots of dead, and overburdened hospitals
“It’s very difficult for me to judge, but I think we will definitely achieve record numbers,” said Gartlehner. Many would soon get corona, but many with triple vaccination or recovery would probably not get seriously ill, according to the expert. But in Austria many who have no immunity, there is not enough data. Lockdown or wave through?
In the second case, there would be overburdened hospitals and intensive care units “with all the consequences” as well as many serious cases and many deaths, according to Gartlehner. The expert would not rule out a lockdown. But: The wave can no longer be stopped, the question is now whether you can let the wave go through quickly without major measures with all the consequences such as many deaths and thus survive it faster – or brake with measures such as lockdown.
Schools open, but shorten the Green Pass
“I do think the schools should really be the last to be closed again,” said Gartlehner about whether school operations in Austria could really start on Monday. The third prick is currently certainly the most effective remedy against the Omirkon wave, according to the expert, who also puts a shortening of the vaccination validity in the room. From the third stitch, the Green Pass should only be valid for four months, according to Gartlehner.
The expert also assumed that the lockdown for unvaccinated people would hardly be observed – on the one hand, unvaccinated people would not adhere to it, on the other hand it would hardly be monitored. Gartlehner also initiated a change in the quarantine, because otherwise “half of Austria will soon be in quarantine” and the follow-up to contacts will collapse sooner or later, the expert predicted.
Rethink mandatory vaccination, (no) a fourth prick, quarantine
Anyone who is considered to be an Omikron contact person should be able to free themselves out of quarantine after three or four and not five days, according to Gartlehner. In addition, everyone concerned at Omikron has previously had to be in quarantine, “that should definitely be taken back,” says Gartlehner. His suggestions: Omikron contact persons should be allowed to test themselves after three or four days, infected people without symptoms after five days.
The expert even went one step further: In a next step, if necessary, infected people should even be allowed to go to work with no or mild symptoms. At the same time, Gartlehner seemed to be taking the trip out of a fourth vaccination: risk groups and employees in critical infrastructure would probably need a fourth vaccination, the rest will now become infected. And the compulsory vaccination should in any case be reconsidered after the Omikron wave, says Gartlehner.
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