More and more people in Austria are ill, mainly due to the new XFG coronavirus variant

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Most people have probably already noticed, whether at work, at school, among friends, or even within their own families, that many are currently suffering from a runny nose, cough, sore throat, or even fever, and are laid up. Sick leave figures have increased. This is due to the classic cold viruses (rhinoviruses), which are still dominating the infection situation at present, but also to the coronavirus.

In recent weeks, a new variant called XFG “Stratus” has taken over. It is a BA.2.86 descendant of the Omicron family, which is rapidly driving up infection rates. According to clinical records from the Department of Virology at MedUni Vienna, cases have even doubled compared to the previous week.

A similar picture is also emerging at the Austrian Health Insurance Fund. Reports of incapacity to work due to Covid-19 infections have increased by a third within a week, rising from 2,373 to 3,113 cases.

Although these figures are still low compared to last year, at that time we were already in the middle of the peak of the wave – this time, the peak is still to come and is expected at the end of October.

In addition, Sars-CoV-2 infection has not been notifiable for two years, and it is no longer so easy to determine whether someone has been infected at all. Although COVID-19 tests are still available from doctors and pharmacies, they do not always show the correct result.

This is because the tests only show a positive result if a large amount of the virus is excreted. This is according to virologist Monika Redlberger-Fritz from MedUni Vienna, as published by “Heute. “When someone comes into contact with the virus for the first time, their immune system has not yet built up any defenses against it. The virus can multiply, leading to a high viral load in the body. Rapid tests can also detect this,” she explained.

However, our immune system, which has been well-trained over the past five years, ensures a lower viral load. “The more frequently we come into contact with the virus, the better trained the immune system becomes and the sooner it brings the virus in the body under control. As a result, the viral load is no longer as high. So if you have been infected several times, it is possible that the test will not detect an infection at all.