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According to experts, the omicron wave should end in mid-February. What will happen then is not the same. There is a scenario that we return to normal life and covid becomes an illness at the flu level. Although many experts are optimistic about this, there is also the possibility that the virus will mutate into worse variants.
This week, the daily numbers of new infections were double compared to last week. However, the number of hospitalized is declining. So far, this confirms that omicron is more contagious, but the disease it causes is milder. “These are numbers that we assumed and estimated, our predictions are being fulfilled,” says Minister of Health Vlastimil Válek (TOP 09).
Covid will return in waves
Some experts assume high increases in cases at least until the end of January. This can be reflected in the number of hospitalized and deceased. According to virologist Jiří Černý, for example, the omicron wave will end in mid-February. No one dares to estimate further developments. “I think we need to prepare for the fact that a normal life will no longer be as completely normal as it was before 2019, that it will be necessary to wear veils in some waves, which in turn will not be so big or deadly, to be more careful, “estimates a virus expert from the Czech University of Life Sciences.
Covid as a common respiratory infection
“Then it should start to decline, as in other countries that were a few weeks ahead of us, and then it could really be that we could start to disintegrate, “adds immunologist Václav Hořejší.” There is a certain chance that if it quickly passes through the population and no mutation occurs, we could live to see that there will be a normal common respiratory infection, “epidemiologist Roman Prymula hopes.
Another variant will appear
“To the risk that another variant will appear after half a year, for example, is not entirely small. So yes, we all optimistically hope that it is going in the right direction, but it is definitely not guaranteed, “warns molecular geneticist Jan Pačes.
The first case of this covid-19 variant appeared in the Czech Republic in mid-December last year. According to the State Institute of Public Health (SZÚ), it has prevailed among those infected since 11 January. The data show that vaccinees do not fill hospitals like those who did not get vaccinated. Statistics from ICU cases show that vaccinations have a protective effect of 80 percent against the severe course of action and the third booster dose even 87 percent.
The president of the Czech Medical Chamber, Milan Kubek, also commented on the development in the Czech Republic:
lud, TN.cz
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