[ad_1]
Faßmann: “Defeat the long-term pandemic with a single vaccine”
Vienna (OTS) – Since the start of the corona pandemic, around 350,000 people have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 and thus formed antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. The seroprevalence is 4.7% up to the study period in mid / late October.
About 61% of the cases discovered in the study are infections that have not been recognized by authorities. This resulted in an extrapolation of the sample data on infections carried out so far on the basis of the antibodies formed (seroprevalence) as part of the national COVID 19 prevalence study, Statistics Austria and the Medical University of Vienna on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research and in It has cooperated with the Austrian Red Cross.
Heinz Faßmann, Federal Minister of Education, Science and Research, says: “The very low seroprevalence shows that the contamination of the population naturally, without a large number of sick and dead, is an illusion. This study confirms that we can only control the corona pandemic and defeat it in the long term with a vaccine. “
The seroprevalence is higher in western Austria (Tyrol, Vorarlberg, Salzburg, Upper Austria: 5.7%) than in eastern Austria (Vienna, Burgenland, Lower Austria, 3.8%).
Tobias Thomas, Director General of Statistics Austria: “Between mid-October and the end of October, 4.7% of the population residing in Austria aged 16 and over had antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and therefore had an infection since the beginning of the pandemic. Three out of every five infected people were not detected by the authorities. “
“The overall low prevalence of neutralizing antibodies underscores how long it would take, given the necessary slowdown in the spread of the virus and without vaccination, before so-called herd immunity developed in the Austrian population,” added the project director of the Medical University from Vienna, Robert Strassl. and Lukas Weseslindtner.
The exact dates of the study: Between November 12 and 14, 2020, 2,229 people were bled. Neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 were detected in 92 samples. Based on scientific studies, it can be assumed that virus-specific antibodies can be reliably detected after a period of about three weeks. Consequently, the trial period from 12 to 14 November 2020 reflects the infection situation in Austria until mid to late October.
The first interim results on the proportion of people infected in the period from 12 to 14 November 2020 have already been presented. These results have now been validated with data from the Epidemiological Notification System (EMS). The projected total number of SARS-CoV-2 infections from November 12-14, 2020 is 233,000 (3.1% of the population aged 16 and over living in private households). Taking into account the range of statistical fluctuation, this value is between 195,000 and 261,000 (2.6% – 3.5%) of people infected in mid-November.
Queries and contact:
WB for education, science and research
Deborah Knob magazine
Press officer
01 53120-5026
Austrian Federal Statistics
Dr. Bettina Führer
Tel.: +43 1 71128-7777
Email: press@statistik.gv.at
