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Opening early wasn’t wise”
Virologist Norbert Nowotny takes a hard line against Austrian politics when it comes to Corona.
Opening early wasn’t wise”
"We opened the door at the height of the wave of infections. That wasn't smart!" The renowned virologist Prof. Dr. Norbert Nowotny finds clear words when it comes to the easing of the Corona measures on March 5th. At an online event organized by the MPKA (Motor Presse Klub Austria), the expert answered questions from the interested audience - just at a time when the number of infections has skyrocketed again.
According to Nowotny, the decision to open early was by no means scientifically based; rather, it was a purely political decision. The motivation behind it is clear: Opinion surveys have documented a clear Corona fatigue among the population, the majority of whom no longer wanted to hear about various restrictions on public life.
Nevertheless, according to Nowotny, the opening came a few weeks too early. What is happening now is that hospitalizations will increase and so will sick leave. However, the Wiener Linien, for example, could no longer keep to the timetable due to the high number of sick days. “I’m glad I’m not in the Gecko,” said Nowotny at the MPKA event. So he did not have to support the decision to relax the Corona protective measures, which he believed was premature.
“It’s hard for me to say: But Germany is doing it better,” said the virologist. As is well known, the Germans only ramp up everything a little later: “Freedom Day”, on which most Corona measures end, is scheduled for March 20, 2022. In our case, the omicron wave will probably be extended until the end of March or beginning of April and will probably also be made worse.
Apart from the current worries, Nowotny is confident about the near future: “We have to hold out for about another month, then we’ll have a nice summer ahead of us,” says the expert. There are again many question marks over autumn. “We are hoping for an omicron-like virus, but unfortunately we cannot rule out a more dangerous variant,” said the expert. In any case, one thing is certain for the expert: “We will have to refresh the vaccinations again in the fall.”
In the medium to long term, Corona will be similar to the flu - with vaccines against several virus variants that are constantly being adapted. Speaking of vaccination: Nowotny himself says he was first vaccinated with the Astrazeneca vaccine (politicians and scientists should have set a good example), then twice with Biontech/Pfizer. He also considers such cross-vaccinations to be quite useful.