Dr Mossong expressed his belief that the Omicron variant has become dominant in Luxembourg over the course of Christmas. The most recent data sets certainly point in that direction, the epidemiologist noted. By now, the National Laboratory (LNS) has obtained the capacity to identify coronavirus variants much quicker than the former two-week period.
Dr Mossong underlined the importance of getting the spread of Omicron under control. 90% of infections occur in people that have been vaccinated twice, once, or not at all, thus underlining the importance of the booster campaign.
The epidemiologist also argued in favour of rapid tests, which still work for the Omicron variant. He explained that people should do them right before meeting others, and not forget about the use of masks.
When asked about schools, Dr Mossong explained that Omicron seems to affect young children the least, which is why he expects no drastic changes after the end of the Christmas holidays. Secondary schools, however, could see an increase of infections, as adolescents are more prone to contract the variant.
Dr Mossong also admitted that the contact tracing mechanisms are currently reaching capacity limits, which is why a new recommendation is set to go out today, allowing people to declare positive test results themselves via the internet: “I highly recommend that people make use of this to help ease pressure on the contact tracing team.”
