The pandemic is over, but Corona is still with us. Travelers returning from trips could be partly responsible for the current increase in the number of cases. The Spanish holiday island of Mallorca, a popular holiday destination for Carinthians and Styrians, is battling high infection rates. There are currently direct flights to the island three times a week from Klagenfurt and three to four times from Graz. It is therefore hardly surprising that many people returning from Mallorca are reporting symptoms of illness – the few who are still being tested for Covid sometimes also have positive test results.
Are the “FLiRT” variants responsible for the fact that many people returning from Mallorca have become ill in Klagenfurt? © Markus Traussnig
“FLiRT” on Mallorca – what sounds like spontaneous actions among summer and party vacationers are in fact the new Corona variants such as KP.1, KP.2 and KP.2.2. that are circulating on the island. Almost a month ago, Mallorcan media reported on an enormous increase in numbers. In Austria, these variants have been heavily present in wastewater in recent weeks, but we have now even gone one step further – and arrived at the so-called FLuQE variants.
FLuQE statt FLiRT
KP.3, which is one of these FLuQE variants, is particularly relevant at the moment. It is a slightly different mutation constellation in continuation of the FLiRT variants and currently dominates in Austria with 65 percent of wastewater. “We are seeing a leveling off in many areas, but KP3.1 is gaining momentum. It could be that a KP.3 or KP3.1-based wave is building up in the background,” explains Andreas Bergthaler from the Medical University of Vienna.
“It could be that a KP.3 or KP3.1-based wave is building up in the background,” explains Professor Bergthaler © (c) APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH
In general, it is difficult to establish a connection between infection rates in Carinthia and Styria and those in Mallorca. It is no longer possible to understand the infection situation so precisely that it is possible to make concrete statements on this: “The infection rate is very high everywhere and the infection interval is much shorter.” But it is clear that Ballermann, for example, is a typical place for infections, says Bergthaler: “The more mobile people are and the more indoor events they attend where people are together in a confined space, the more likely infectious agents are to spread. This is nothing specific to corona and it remains an individual matter of weighing up what you are willing to accept. But it makes little sense to point the finger at someone.”
How the virus evolves
What do the comparatively high numbers in summer mean in general? “We have a higher summer wave than last year, but the one in 2022 was much higher again. So you always have to see it in relation,” says Bergthaler. However, it is not yet possible to say whether this will have an impact on the infection rate over the rest of the year: “Many people could have received a natural booster now and one could expect a lower incidence of illness in winter. But that is speculation because the virus is also evolving,” says the virologist, who stresses, however, that intentional infection is never advisable: “If you’re unlucky, it can still have serious health consequences.”
Recommendations
To avoid infection, the Ministry of Health recommends washing and disinfecting hands regularly, constantly ventilating rooms and avoiding contact when symptoms occur. However, since Covid is no longer a notifiable disease since July 1 of last year, people who test positive are no longer subject to traffic restrictions. You no longer have to get tested anyway: after the federal government’s Corona crisis measures expired in the middle of last year, the publicly funded Covid-19 testing systems also ended. However, it is still possible to get tested in many pharmacies – as a private service.
“Please not at events”
Although it is not forbidden for people who are Corona-positive to attend events, the state of Carinthia is making an appeal: It is recommended that people “not attend public events and avoid contact in order to limit the possibility of transmission and protect vulnerable groups.”
