According to official data, around 13,000 people in Lower Austria currently have Covid. While at the beginning of the pandemic the police still controlled compliance with the isolation, symptom-free infected people are now only subject to traffic restrictions. Anyone who does not feel sick has been able to move freely since August 1st, albeit with a mask. This means that Covid-19 remains one of around 80 notifiable diseases in Lower Austria. In contrast to tuberculosis or the hantavirus, however, there is no quarantine requirement.
Source: State Medical Directorate/Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Health
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Illustration: roroiisha; Grafik: Hammer
After the first few days, experts disagree on whether the decision to end the quarantine was correct. The epidemiologist at Danube University Krems, Gerald Gartlehner, says “yes”. He justifies this by saying that the isolation in the current phase of the pandemic no longer works well anyway. “As a rule, asymptomatic people are less infectious. Most of them move freely anyway because they don’t know anything about their infection.” At the same time, he draws a comparison with countries like Spain, where the number of infections has not increased after the abolition.
Gerald Gartlehner is relaxed about the quarantine end.
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Virologist Norbert Nowotny agrees that no effects can be seen yet. However, he attributes this to the fact that most companies “do not implement the regulation or only implement it to a limited extent”. The risk is too great for most company bosses, he thinks. In contrast to Gartlehner, Nowotny assumes that the numbers will increase if the regulation is implemented consistently.
Norbert Nowotny is worried about the quarantine.
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In the current summer wave, the numbers are going down. However, they are also only a conditionally reliable source, as less is tested. An autumn wave is fixed for both experts. “Since we then have to expect a higher virus circulation again, this will lead to more sick leave, which contradicts the idea of the regulation. Then we will need more restrictive measures again, such as an extension of the mask requirement,” Nowotny looks ahead. Gartlehner is still cautious with a forecast. Whether Austria can dive through the cold season without being quarantined depends on the prevailing variant. He sees no problem with Omikron.
Nevertheless, the epidemiologist also advises that people at risk should be given more protection again. You should test yourself regularly so that you can be treated with medication in good time if you become ill.