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MeIn Austria, relaxation for new crown infections should be used to assess risk groups for possible infections. On the one hand, this affects people who are particularly at risk of developing Covid disease 19 and, on the other hand, staff in the retail, nursing and health professions who come into contact with many people. Health Minister Rudolf Anschober announced Thursday that all residents and employees in nursing homes for the elderly should be tested, totaling around 130,000 people. This is part of a delimitation strategy, which the Greens politician called “Containment 2”.
At the request of the F.A.Z. The Ministry said that the necessary testing capabilities are available in Austria. Currently around 10,000 tests can be taken per day. Just two weeks ago, there were 20 laboratories in the country that could have done this, now there are 40. The necessary reagents are also more available on the world market. On the other hand, the scope arises from the very reduced growth of infections. In the past few days it had been between one and two percent. As a result, fewer contacts would have to be tested around the newly infected. In the past few days, between 3,500 and 7,000 tests were required in such cases.
Range of 6500 to 3000 tests
This results in a range of 6500 to 3000 tests per day. However, the way nursing home testing is organized has yet to be coordinated with the federal states that are responsible for most homes. Additionally, free trial capabilities must also be claimed in other areas. On Wednesday, for example, sports minister and vice chancellor Werner Kogler (Greens) had promised special permission to play games in the top soccer league, provided the staff had to undergo continuous testing.
“We have been in phase two since Tuesday, this is the decisive phase, and it is even more difficult and challenging,” Anschober said. The stated goal is to “really prevent a second wave.” In this way, clear conditions will be defined for greater openness in Austria. Now it is “containment 2.0”, a demarcation strategy. In the case of infected people, this should be done through “manual contact person management”. This is supported by the police on behalf of the health authorities.
Interior Minister Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) explained with the image of a “Flex” that the police must cut the infection chains. “Burning nests of infections must be located quickly and deliberately removed.” The police are well prepared, through their investigative experience and interrogation techniques, to carry out the necessary “contact tracing”, that is, to trace the infection chains and to examine the surroundings.
The Vienna Home Office explained how this “contact tracking” works: a person becomes ill and positive about it Corona virus tested. The health authority (district authorities or magistrate) then contacts the police and informs them of the positive test. The police approach the sick person (mainly by phone, direct contact should be avoided). The survey of the sick person is standardized and structured with a questionnaire from the health authorities. The questions mainly concern potential contact persons. The result is sent to the health authority.
“Stop Corona” application of the Red Cross
Anschober also entered the Red Cross application “Stop Corona”, for which the government announces massively in the media. It represents “digital media”, but the priority is “manual development”. This is not about “either or”. The effectiveness of the application had recently been criticized.
According to Anschober, the daily increase in the number of newly infected people in Austria has been around one percent in the past four days. Compared to Wednesday, the increase was 0.9 percent. The situation remains “balanced and stable”. Of course, this depends on the number of tests, he emphasized. However, only two percent of all smears would lead to a positive result. Because there are significantly fewer suspected cases, you have the option to “be even faster and intervene quickly.” Suspicious cases are currently being tested, and doctors may order more smears.
As a third new approach, Anschober named PCR tests (tests for an acute infection) of employees in the health professions. Personnel in the trade should also be added. “We want to take a look, did something happen through the opening, was there any infection?” Announced the Minister of Health.
Additionally, all employees and residents in nursing homes and nursing homes should be evaluated in the coming weeks. Studies showed that in other European countries around half of all Covid 19 deaths come from homes. So far 918 are in Austria, “here we want to implement a core approach and test it across the board.”
The case of a nursing home in Styria was recently disclosed, in which the prosecution is investigating an advertisement. A total of 39 people, residents and nurses, are said to have tested positive for the virus at home. Twelve people in the 160-bed home have died since the start of the crisis, and six deaths are said to be related to Covid-19 infections. Operators are blamed for the fact that staff had to work without adequate protection and may have spread the virus.
