So far 59 infections with omicron confirmed in Austria

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In Austria, 59 infections with the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus have been confirmed so far. Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein said at a press conference in Vienna on Tuesday. 49 of them were detected by PCR test, the other ten were sequenced. There have been six cases in the federal capital alone so far.

Mückstein also announced that the National Immunization Panel (NIG) will soon issue a recommendation for booster vaccination for children and adolescents aged twelve and older. Accordingly, the department head expects the NIG’s recommendation as early as tomorrow, Wednesday. So far, the booster offer was only available for over 18-year-olds. Only in Vienna, the third vaccination was offered from 16.

Mückstein and experts at the press conference had bad news, but also good news about the new variant: “The data prove that Omicron is indeed more contagious than Delta,” the health minister said. However, he said, it is not yet clear whether the new variant will also bring more severe or milder courses of the disease. The good news was delivered by molecular biologist Andreas Bergthaler: “Data from Great Britain show that triple vaccinated or recovered people with two vaccine doses have relatively good protection against infection with Omicron. People with only two vaccine doses, on the other hand, are hardly protected against this more infectious variant.

Consequently, Mückstein’s appeal was, “Please get your booster before Christmas.” He said that would also protect health care workers. And conventional measures are “still effective: wash your hands, keep your distance, wear a mask.”

Bergthaler stressed that an absolute increase in infection rates should be expected in the coming weeks. Omicron is “much more infectious” than Delta. This was also emphasized by Herwig Ostermann, managing director of Gesundheit Österreich GmbH (GÖG), who assumed that the numbers would double every two to three days. The expert expected the peaks of new infections with Omicron in January.

The aim now is to delay the spread of the new variant as long as possible – until there is to be a dedicated vaccine against Omicron in the spring. In addition to the known hygiene measures, the scientists referred above all to vaccination: Above all, a triple immunization would, according to current knowledge, reduce the risk of infection by about 70 percent and also prevent severe courses.

Vaccine is in sufficient supply, according to Katharina Reich, director general of public health. In addition, Reich expected the new protein vaccine Novavax to be approved in the coming days and delivered to Austria before the end of December.