– The decisive factor will be how many people have to go to hospital and especially to the intensive care unit, says FHI chief physician Preben Aavitsland.
OSLO (Nettavisen): Now it is important to avoid such a large wave of infections this winter that the intensive care units are overloaded, says FHI top Preben Aavitsland to Nettavisen. He expects that many will be infected, including those vaccinated.
– What can we expect to see from the spread of infection here in Norway in the coming weeks?
– We expect a larger wave of the epidemic in January – March. Since the omicron variant is difficult to slow down, many people will be infected, including those vaccinated. The decisive factor for the handling will be how many people have to go to hospital and especially to the intensive care unit, says Aavitsland, who is chief physician in the National Institute of Public Health’s management, professor at the pandemic center at the University of Bergen and also chief physician in Arendal and Froland.
Also read: Immunologist thinks the wave of infection is larger than what we see the contours of
Vaccination and protection
Aavitsland remains optimistic about vaccine effect, omicron and disease burden:
– It seems that the proportion with a serious course is significantly smaller with the omicron variant than with the delta variant. Vaccination protects well against a serious course. If the capacity of the intensive care units is nevertheless challenged, or if there are so many patients that the health service in the municipalities can collapse, new measures are needed to slow down the epidemic more.
– Is the vaccination going fast enough now?
– We are now trying to slow down the epidemic to avoid too high a wave peak. It is the testing, isolation and quarantine as well as the contact-reducing measures that will slow down the epidemic. Vaccination with the third dose also contributes to many people being better protected against becoming infected and passing on the omicron variant, at least for a few weeks. Of course, the third dose is also important to refresh the protection against serious illness. This is more important the older you are. Everyone over the age of 45 should take the third dose as soon as they can, ie at least 20 weeks after the second dose.
Also read: New rules for corona certificate: – Must take a refreshing dose
– Are there enough vaccines and vaccine capacity?
– There are enough vaccines, and the municipalities have now increased their capacity. There should be no delays now.
– Is it the case that everyone over the age of 45 can now receive the 3rd dose, or should those under the age of 65 and without underlying diseases wait a bit?
– The municipalities have mainly finished with those over 65 years and are in full swing with those between 45 and 64 years. Check the municipality’s website for the system in your municipality. In many places you get a summons, in other places you have to register.
Third dose for anyone over 18 years of age
Aavitsland says there was a slightly lower vaccination rate in weeks 51 and 52, but that FHI expects it to pick up now in January so that everyone over 45 can get their third dose during the month and everyone over 18 who wants it , may receive its third dose during February.
– National measures such as stopping drinking are a hot topic. What kind of restrictions can be defended in the future and for whom?
– Now it is important to avoid such a big wave this winter that the intensive care units are overloaded. An overload will affect all those who need intensive care after operations, accidents or other acute illnesses. Many operations may need to be postponed. We do not want unnecessary restrictions, and we will advise on decommissioning as soon as the restrictions are no longer needed, Aavitsland answers and points out that the National Institute of Public Health is currently advising the government on further measures.
Ask the unvaccinated to think about
– According to FHI’s latest weekly report, there are still a few hundred thousand Norwegians over the age of 16 who have not received the first dose. Some will not and some will not. What do you say to these groups?
– There are now 321,000 who are not registered with a single dose. Of these, 104,000 are over 45 years old. Now the omicron wave is coming in full force. Then it is difficult to avoid the virus. We ask them to think again. It is much safer to encounter the virus with at least one dose, but preferably two doses inside. Vaccination helps the immune system prepare for this first encounter with the virus so that one does not become seriously ill.
Speaking of booster doses: How long can we keep vaccinating people at such frequent intervals?
– The plan now is to offer a booster dose to all adults. It is most important for those over the age of 45 to say yes. It is too early to decide on future vaccinations, but with today’s vaccines and the current omicron variant, it will hardly be relevant to offer most people a fourth dose. Maybe there will be an offer every fall for the elders; this we must consider.
also read
WHO: Omikron can lead to more dangerous varieties
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