If you have a sore throat now, it is not likely that you have received the new variant of omicron BA.5. Hundreds of thousands could be infected this summer.
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The two red lines on the home test speak for themselves.
Just a few months after the big Omicron winter wave, the Corona virus returned to Norway. And this time especially BA. Variant V growing – a new subspecies of Omicron discovered in South Africa in February.
We already have a bachelor’s degree. 1 BSc. 2 visit. The first two omicron variants likely cause disease in between three and four million Norwegians, according to the National Institute of Public Health (NIPH). Now experts believe that BS. 5 will be dominant in Norway in a few weeks.
– We’re expecting another small wave, says chief medical officer Preben Avetsland at FHI.
– But we don’t think it will be as big as February and April. This means that a few hundred thousand Norwegians will be infected, some for the second time.
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Hardly more serious
Aavitsland explains the spread of infection by saying that the immunity of the population has been lost.
At the same time, the Library of Alexandria is spreading. 5 is easier because it can infect people who have been vaccinated or have been infected to a greater degree. However, the new variant does not currently appear to cause more serious disease.
– It might seem like a BS. 5- The infection gives some symptoms to a person more than a bachelor’s degree. 2 did, but so far we have no evidence that the risk of hospitalization is greater.
Aavitsland does not envision new closings.
It is highly unlikely that some groups will recommend measures other than the fourth dose of the vaccine. Those over 65 and at-risk groups are likely to recommend a fourth dose at some point.
Hospital admissions are increasing
Believe Assistant Director of Health Espen Rostrop Nachstad BA. Variant 5 will be dominant across Europe this summer. The same was reported by the European Infection Control Agency on Monday.
And Nakstad doesn’t think restrictions are likely to be off the board to stay home when you’re sick – the board reads today, too. However, increased use of home tests may be appropriate.
They will also work on new omicron variants, says Nakstad in an email to Aftenposten.
Today, health authorities know little about the number of infected people.
– We have a poor overview of how widespread the infection is in Norway and Europe now, but we see in the entry numbers that the infection picked up a bit in June, Nakstad tells NTB.
The number of hospitalizations due to Covid increased three consecutive weeks and ended last week at 130. It’s 67 percent higher than it was two weeks ago, but still well below the top 545 admissions in one week in early March.
Portugal in the fore
In Europe, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Austria and Denmark, among others, have seen a rising trend of infection in the past two weeks.
At the same time, the number of people hospitalized in many countries is increasing. In France, the average is now 519 new admissions each day, while the proportion of intensive care patients has increased by 44 percent last week. Also in popular holiday countries such as the UK and Germany, the number of hospital admissions is increasing.
However, when experts try to learn more about the new alternative, they look to one country, Portugal. BA says. 5 now for more than 80 percent of cases.
The wave of infection is explained by the fact that the new variant has mutations that make it better escape the defenses created by the immune system through vaccination and previous infection, especially if it has been a long time since you were vaccinated or had a past infection.
Naxtad is optimistic though.
In the big picture, the virus will have bigger and bigger problems with more people infected because the immunity of the population increases based on vaccination and disease. This also applies to the Library of Alexandria. 5 variant, he says.
Aavitsland summons BA. The fifth wave is “part of the new normal”.
Remember travel insurance
Before the summer, most European countries removed the latest travel restrictions. Many countries have also relaxed requirements for face masks, both outdoors and indoors. An exception is Italy, where the mouthpiece requirement on public transport has been extended from June 16.
On Friday, Germany’s Minister of Health, Karl Lauterbach, urged people to About wearing face masks indoors in publicalthough this is not mandatory.
But what will the new Corona wave mean for Norwegians vacationing in Europe this summer?
State Department press spokeswoman, Ragnhild H. Semenstad, in an email to Aftenposten, noted that the spread of infection and local restrictions abroad could change quickly.
«The best advice we can give to Norwegian citizens planning to travel abroad is to familiarize themselves with the travel advice provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and travel information about Regeringen. It is important to remember that the individual is responsible for their own safety while traveling.”
In addition, you must have valid travel insurance and subscribe reisegistrering.noSemenstad writes.
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