The Innsbruck infectiologist and director of the University Clinic for Internal Medicine, Günter Weiss, sees an infection that “cannot be stopped” due to the current wave of omicrons.
In the case of a “targeted infection with the handbrake on”, that is, when taking banal and efficient preventive measures, he locates the real chance of the longed-for return to normal, Weiss said in an APA interview.
Infection can no longer be significantly influenced
This scenario is currently taking place across Europe, said Weiss. The contamination with the Omikron variant is a “dynamic process that is running now” and will probably peak in around two weeks and then level off again. This can no longer be influenced significantly.
That is why lockdown measures that he does not consider sensible and effective in this phase would also be of no use: “The Omikron train is on track. And he’ll rush through with or without a lockdown, ”said the doctor, who is also a member of the advisory team at the Ministry of Health.
“Normal summer”, confrontation with the virus in winter
Through the infection, combined with the vaccination, one will have a “high immunity in the population” and hopefully or probably also manage to “get out of the pandemic” and have a “normal summer”. “And with that we will hopefully move from a pandemic to an epidemiological situation in which we will be confronted with the virus again in the cold season of the year”, Weiss saw a similar scenario as with other viruses with which one has also learned to live.
In the case of this “infection with the handbrake on”, however, it is important to ensure that “there are not too many cases at once, so that a problem with medical care does not arise”. To do this, you have to adhere to the prescribed hygiene measures, says Weiss.