51 Omicron infections confirmed in Slovenia
STA, 21 December – Cases of the Omicron variant have been confirmed throughout Slovenia, except in the western Goriška region, but it is only a matter of time before it is detected throughout the country, said the country’s chief epidemiologist Mario Fafangel on Tuesday. . Epidemiologists are proposing a revised mandatory quarantine regime.
To date, 51 Omicron infections have been confirmed in all regions except the Goriška region, said Fafangel, chief epidemiologist at the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ).
The number will continue to grow, and what is actually important are reports of community transmission of the Omicron strain, which means that individuals who have not recently traveled abroad or been in contact with someone who have been infected with the , he warned.
Although no case of Omicron virus infection has yet been confirmed in the Goriška region, it is only a matter of time before this happens, as the strain is highly virulent and new cases of coronavirus have been reported in the area. It is very likely that the variant is therefore present throughout the country, he said.
Fafangel mentioned that the data collected so far show that Omicron caused a milder case of Covid-19, and warned that this should not lull people into a false sense of security. “The most important thing is to take action in a timely manner. This is more important than waiting for 100% data before we do so,” he said.
He stressed the need to take action on the number of infections, as epidemiologists no longer distinguish between suspicion of omicron infection and no suspicion. In fact, the results of genome sequencing and thus information about the variant almost always come to epidemiologists too late, he added.
“From an epidemiological point of view, the variant that is significantly more virulent is usually worse, even if it turns out to be slightly milder,” he said, noting the burden of highly virulent health strains.
Given these developments, epidemiologists have suggested to the government that people who have received a life-saving sting should become the only exception to the mandatory quarantine scheme, which imposes self-isolation after high-risk contact.
The current “two-track quarantine system” is unsustainable and needs to be transformed into a single system, Fafangel said, referring to an umbrella quarantine regime and a special scheme designed to risk Omicron infection, which is without exception.
Epidemiologists also want the updated Covid pass mandate to enter into force as soon as possible, ie Slovenia to introduce a time limit on the Covid certificate for vaccinated under the basic vaccination regime. Last week, the government decided to limit the validity of the Covid pass to 270 days from 1 February.
Fafangel called on everyone to get vaccinated, even with restorative doses. “Protection against symptomatic course [Covid-19] the disease has decreased when it comes to primary vaccination schemes.
“Protection is lower in both vector and mRNA vaccines. We know that a booster dose is still a good solution, restoring or even increasing protection against both symptomatic disease and hospitalization.”
Fafangel also urged people to take protective measures, even during the upcoming holidays. He suggested spending a vacation in bubbles and self-testing. “This can significantly reduce the risk. We will not stop the spread, but we can at least control it,” he added.
The first Omicron infections were confirmed in Slovenia last week in a group of people from central Slovenia.
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