As temperatures drop, infections are increasing as usual, but the Ministry of Health says there is no sign of a tense situation in intensive care units.
AUSTRIA. The Vienna Medical Association has warned of a serious corona situation, but the Ministry of Health sees the situation as uncritical and compares it with the previous year.
“Both our wastewater monitoring and our dashboard regarding hospital admissions and also our sentinel surveillance – that is, the information from the practices of general practitioners – show a constant but slow increase in infections. This development is almost the same as last year,” said Katharina Reich, Director General for Public Health, in the Ö1 midday journal.
Situation as in the previous year
There are currently no indications that the situation in the intensive care units could worsen. According to Reich, the number of Covid admissions has been almost in the single digits in recent weeks. “There is no reason to worry, we have enough capacity,” said the Director General.
In winter, however, infections could increase again. “Like last year, we should be vigilant as we spend more time indoors and less time outdoors. It is important to rethink our behavior if we notice symptoms of infection,” said Reich.
Call for vaccinations due to whooping cough
Influenza and RSV are not an issue at the moment, as these diseases only occur in the cold season. “It starts in October or November at the earliest. We see the highest numbers in December, January and February. So we still have time,” explained Reich. The situation is different with whooping cough. “The numbers have been rising for years, hence an urgent call for vaccination: whooping cough must be regularly boostered,” stressed the Secretary General.
Facts about the Covid-19 vaccination
The CoV vaccination has been proven to minimize the risk of becoming seriously ill with corona or even dying. If an infection occurs despite vaccination, the illness is usually shorter and milder, and complications, hospital stays and deaths are largely avoided. In addition, the likelihood of developing long COVID is reduced in vaccinated people. Regular booster vaccination immunity is necessary, especially for people at risk and older people.
Regarding the criticism from the Vienna Medical Association that the federal government no longer pays for the Covid tests in doctors’ offices that are necessary for the prescription of Paxlovid, Reich said that this was a matter for the negotiating partners. “In the current situation, the social insurance is responsible for the financing. How this is negotiated between the social insurance and the Medical Association is up to the social insurance,” she said.
On the subject:
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Corona autumn wave picks up speed
