GECKO observes the development of BA.4 and BA.5 in Austria
BA.4 and BA.5 bring a new wave to South Africa – GECKO observes the development in Austria.
The corona situation in Austria is currently largely relaxed. But there are new virus variants, BA.4 and BA.5, which have already started a new wave in South Africa. The first cases have also been detected in Austria. The national Covid crisis coordination (GECKO) is monitoring the development closely. Further assessments will soon be possible, says the new report. The absolute priority is currently preparing for autumn.
The crisis coordinators, led by Katharina Reich and Rudolf Striedinger, have received the draft for the variant management plan presented by Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) “for review”. One is “continued to be fully involved in the preparations for the fall,” says the report published on Saturday for the most recent meeting on May 3rd.
The new omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 are currently increasingly coming into focus. In South Africa – where they have dominated the corona events since April – new infections and, in some cases, hospital occupancy have been increasing for two weeks. It is still unclear whether the decoupling of infection processes and hospital occupancy is strong in the new variants, as is the case with Omicron BA.1. And: Current data suggest that an earlier BA.1 infection does not provide sufficient protection against infection with BA.4/BA.5, the gecko experts draw attention to.
They have little hope that the remaining refusers in Austria can still be persuaded to get the corona vaccination. However, the addressable group of those who have not yet been vaccinated is small, partially partially immunized through recovery and currently see little reason to be vaccinated. With the high number of Omikron infections, only around six percent were recently neither vaccinated nor recovered – and with Omikron the “perception of health risks” among the unvaccinated has decreased. “It is therefore recommended that vaccination communication be geared towards maintaining the vaccination protection of those who have already been vaccinated,” says the Gecko report.