In the “Vienna Today” interview, Bergthaler thinks it is worth considering to extend the Easter holidays in order to take the pressure off. “It would probably cause little damage and fall into a time window where we expect the numbers to be very high.” Basically, however, the school openings are an example where it has been shown which measures must be taken to accompany the re-opening, for example with regular tests.
Risk of exponential growth
At a meeting between the federal government, experts and representatives from the federal states on Monday, the development of the seven-day incidence, hospital occupancy and the spread of virus variants were discussed. “In all of these areas it is clear that the numbers are still increasing and are following the forecasts. Accordingly, one must assume that the numbers will continue to rise over the next few weeks, ”said Bergthaler, who was present at the meeting.
Nothing came of a planned opening summit. “From a purely virological perspective, it was already clear two weeks ago that it could not be about openings,” said the molecular medicine specialist Bergthaler. There was a consensus not to open. At the moment the numbers are increasing linearly, but there is a risk that it will “start to increase exponentially at some point, as was the case in October and November”.
Bergthaler sees a tightrope act
It is a tightrope act at the moment, says Bergthaler to “Vienna today”. “From a scientific point of view, there is a lot to suggest that we have to massively reduce the numbers. If we don’t do anything and just wait, the numbers will fly off our ears. ”The vaccinations would not be the solution at the moment because it is still premature. “At the same time, we could be on the verge of the next big wave, and there is a lot to be said for it, if we don’t take countermeasures, that it will come to that.”
Decision on easing postponed
At an expert summit with politicians on Monday, no decision on openings was made as planned. The decision was postponed.
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The situation in the hospitals is lagging behind for several weeks. “The people who are now infected, who, if they are unlucky, will end up in the hospital in two or three weeks,” says Bergthaler. This is made more difficult by the mutation B.1.1.7, which was first discovered in Great Britain. A study from the UK would show that the virus variant leads to more severe courses. “Even if the number of infections remained stable, that would mean that more people would end up in the hospital later.”
Two difficult months
“In six months, incidences where we now say we have to go into lockdown immediately will no longer be quite as relevant because we know that the vulnerable population groups are protected by vaccination.” Bergthaler describes the next at least two months as a “difficult time window “Because the number of infections continues to rise, and the vaccination is vigorous,” but that is not yet sufficient to really protect everyone who needs it “.
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