Covid infection figures are rising again in Austria

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In terms of Sars-CoV-2, it was a quiet summer in Austria. For a good two weeks, the infection figures have been rising again. Individual tests are no longer included in the analysis; the infection situation is monitored with the help of wastewater monitoring. Samples from 48 wastewater treatment plants in Austria are evaluated, covering about 60 percent of the Austrian population. “Last summer, we had a powerful wave of infections,” says Andreas Bergthaler of Med-Uni Vienna. “In comparison, this summer, we had a much lower viral signal, but it was still higher than 2020 and 2021.”

There are several reasons for the current increase. There is people’s behaviour; we have more contacts again through restaurant visits, events, and vacations. We wear fewer masks and keep less distance. Finally, the virus itself is a factor. “We currently have over 30 percent of the new EG.5.1 subvariant,” Bergthaler explains. It is spreading faster than other subvariants in the far-flung Omikron family. And it has some mutations that help it subvert the body’s immune response. That means, translated, you can get infected with it a little easier than with other variants. “The virus is constantly changing, which is neither new nor surprising,” Bergthaler says.

The forecast for the fall
For the fall, Bergthaler expects the numbers to continue to rise. “This should not surprise us after this pandemic.” Nevertheless, Bergthaler sees a need to keep an eye on infection patterns. In terms of Corona, the “Sars-CoV-2 is going to stay; it’s going to continue to cause severe illness, people are going to die from it as well,” Bergthaler explains. In his view, other pathogens that cause respiratory illness, such as influenza or RSV, should also be monitored. To this end, there is now a trial by the Ministry of Health, the so-called Sari Dashboard, which has been available online for a few days. Here, data on severe acute respiratory infections throughout Austria are presented.