When asked whether certain Covid-19 measures were perhaps lifted too soon, Professor Wilmes stated that it is “a political decision” that can be justified due to the situation in the country’s hospitals at the moment.
Professor Wilmes explained that the Omicron subvariant BA.2 is currently dominant in the Grand Duchy. While BA.2 is indeed even more contagious than the original Omicron variant, it does not cause more severe courses of the disease and thus actually contributes to building up immunity in the population, according to Professor Wilmes.
Regarding the question of whether the government thus accepts a deliberate mass-infection of the population, the microbiologist replied that in the case of the “high risk group” of those over 50, their risk of being hospitalised has decreased by 60% compared to the Delta variant. In intensive care, the authorities have even observed a decrease of 72%. While Professor Wilmes acknowledged that a higher number of infections will logically lead to a higher number of severe cases as well as Long Covid cases, he argued that the question politicians must ask themselves is whether these numbers will reach “a critical level”. In light of the currently available data, this is unlikely to be the case, Professor Wilmes stated.
For the following weeks, the Covid-19 task force expects infections to reach a peak around mid-April. The past two years have shown that infection numbers can then be expected to remain relatively stable throughout spring and summer, Professor Wilmes explained.
On the other hand, the health expert stated that Luxembourg should expect another coronavirus wave in autumn. Simulations have shown that the number of hospitalisations will increase again, even if the number of patients in intensive care is not expected to increase significantly, Professor Wilmes explained. It should also be taken into account that hospitals now have “new and efficient means” to treat Covid-19, notably the new pharmaceuticals, Professor Wilmes added.
According to the microbiologist, the new measures demand more “personal responsibility” from the population in the future. Professor Wilmes also thinks that the introduction of a partial vaccine mandate as “a potentially important tool” is still an option, as there is always a risk that “new and more dangerous” variants could emerge.
