Autumn is here and thus also a clear increase in the Corona cases in Austria. This not only indicates the curve of the sewage monitoring, which shows that more residues of Sars-Cov-2 are currently appearing in the domestic sewage treatment plants. There is also a clear rash for the human samples in the Sentinel system.
“We also see a significant increase in the Corona-positive rehearsals in the Sentine system, but that is nothing surprising and expected to develop that occurs at the end of summer and the beginning of the school,” explains virologist Monika Redlberger-Fritz from MedUni Vienna “Today”.
Günther Pichlkostner / First Look / picturedesk.com
Highlight in September or October
How the numbers will develop in the next few weeks, when and whether there will be a wave, cannot yet be said. “In the past two years, the corona elections have risen every time at the end of the summer vacation and have reached its peak in the course of September and October. It is not yet known whether this will be the case this year.” But a similar course as in previous years is entirely expected.
This also depends on “how much the virus changes in the coming weeks. Completely new variants can have a strong influence on the infection,” said the research manager at the Center for Virology of the MedUni Vienna. In any case, there is a basic immunity against the prevailing variants. “Either through contact with the virus itself or through a vaccination.”
Trained immune system
In any case, the driving force behind the current infection is still the XFG “Stratus” variant, a BA.2.86-deraviertel from the Omikron family. “This is currently clearly the main variant and is well covered by the vaccines due to their BA.2.86 urban.” In the symptoms, the circulating variant XFG has the same bandwidth as its predecessors and is not characterized by a symptoms that is more pronounced than in other variants. “XFG no longer causes a headache, more sore throat or more diarrhea, that has always been different from person to person.” From a slight headache and sore throat to severe symptoms such as high fever, body aches and massive cough, everything is possible.
But what to do if you notice symptoms? According to Redlberger-Fritz, not making much sense to use the antigent test. “The antigent tests are as bad as ever. And that is exactly what our well -trained immune system takes care of that. “The more often we have contact with the virus, the better the immune system is trained and brings the virus under control early in the body. This means that there is no such high virus load at all.” Instead, everyone who feels sick should stay at home and cure themselves. “This is the only way we don’t put others.”
