Virologist warns of infections in the hospital
According to the virologist Isabella Eckerle, the Omikron variant of the coronavirus increases the risk of infection within the hospitals.
the essentials in brief
- According to Isabella Eckerle, the Omikron variant puts a strain on the entire healthcare system.
- Intensive care units are less stressed, but many infected people come to the hospital.
- According to the virologist, there would be massive staff absences due to high infection rates.
The omicron variant of the coronavirus is spreading more and more, and it has also taken over the scepter in Switzerland. While there is much to be said for an average milder course than the Delta variant, it is much more contagious.
According to Isabella Eckerle, a virologist at Geneva University Clinics, Omikron is causing a different pandemic wave than previous variants. The burden is now no longer in the intensive care units, but in the entire health sector, as she writes on Twitter. This also applies to the outpatient area.
On average, Omikron leads to milder courses, but it still makes many people so sick that they come to the hospital. In addition, there are those who “come because of other problems and are infected”. This makes the care and isolation of people infected with the coronavirus much more complex, as all specialist areas are involved.
Coronavirus: More staff absences due to Omikron
The virologist warns: This increases the risk of corona transmissions within the hospitals. “In addition, there are high infection rates among staff.” Even here there are milder courses on average, but they are still so disease-causing “that massive failures occur”.
Eckerle considers compensation through shortened or lifted isolation or quarantine in the healthcare system to be a difficult, double-edged decision.
Either one would risk more frequent contagion between colleagues and patients. Or there would be staff absent, which means that there is no longer any supply.
Are you worried about the Omikron variant of the coronavirus?
“I think we will have to rethink many of the previously valid concepts of coping with pandemics with Omikron.” The extremely high infectiousness and the very high number of infections would bring new challenges. For example, the test capacity will soon be exhausted.
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