Researchers reveal what measures really work – science

Austria faces a second blockade, on Saturday the federal government will announce stricter crown measures. But which of these many rules really helps contain Sars-CoV-2? Here’s what Viennese complexity researcher Peter Klimek found in a recent study. Therefore, the best strategy is a “smart combination of measures” as soon as possible.

In total, Klimek and his international team around the Complexity Science Hub Vienna (CSH) carefully examined 4,500 measures that were imposed by countries around the world between January and May 2020. The scientist explains to the “Kleine Zeitung” which crown rules are now needed in Austria:

1Home Office

➤ “We know: anything that helps reduce social contacts is effective,” says Klimek. The greatest danger comes from poorly ventilated rooms in which people from different households gather. And how to counteract this? “The home office, where possible, start over, in the catering industry should increasingly rely on the delivery or collection service,” explains Klimek.

2Curfew and prohibition of alcohol

➤ An early curfew and alcohol ban hardly play a role in fighting the virus, according to statisticians. According to study leader Klimek, it doesn’t matter when curfew begins. Rather, there is the risk of moving the celebrations to a private space. “The important thing is if people are willing to support these measures and then maybe not just postpone the celebration to the apartment if the curfew is too early.”

3Hotels and gastro

➤ Researchers also identify hotels and restaurants as relatively safe environments. Only 2.5 percent of the groups can be traced back to accommodation and catering companies. This is also confirmed by the Food Safety Agency (AGES). According to her, hotels and restaurants are not sources of infection either.

4schools

➤ According to the expert, schools should not be run over with the bulldozer and all or nothing should be blocked. “In any case, kindergartens and elementary schools must remain open, but there are many transfers in the 14-18 age group,” said the researcher. Therefore, in the upper grades, homeschooling must return to.

5business

➤ According to Klimek, a similar differentiated approach should also be applied to company closings. The key questions here are: Which companies have good security concepts and where is the risk particularly high? At the same time, a federal park or garden closure, as in the spring, brings little noticeable improvement. The risk of infection outdoors is too low for this.

6Mask requirement

➤ But there is one measure that scientists are pretty sure has a positive effect: wearing a mask. As revealed to “BR24”, those countries whose citizens resorted to mouth and nose protection at an early stage fared best through the first corona wave.

➤ According to a virus monitoring study at the Hauner Children’s Hospital in Munich, which has yet to be fully evaluated, it is also becoming apparent that it makes little sense to wear a mask when teaching children. “We tested several children even before the summer holidays, that was almost 800 tests that we carried out. We could not demonstrate any incidence of infection”, summarizes the infectologist Ulrich von Both in relation to “BR24”.

7Emergency shutdown

➤ A blockade, as it will now be in Germany as of November 2 and which can also threaten Austria, “is always a combination of measures,” the complexity researcher tells the girl. In the current situation, however, it is still not appropriate to push the measures to the limit and block everything. But Klimek also has to admit: “We won’t go loosely.”

8communication

➤ As has also been seen with the requirement for masks, early and voluntary interventions are more effective than those introduced late and on a mandatory basis. Therefore, scientists consider it essential that the policy establishes active risk communication with the population. Education and information for the general public are the key to containing this pandemic.