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Urs Karrer, Vice President of the Swiss Covid Task Force, is concerned about the “uncontrolled EM euphoria”. The pan-European football tournament is “Ischgl in the square” and will demand a corona-related death toll, according to the infectiologist.
“I am really amazed at the nonchalance with which we are still dealing with this virus in Europe; the number of cases is hardly falling,” said Karrer in an interview with “SonntagsBlick”. The epidemiological situation in Europe is currently not presented in such a way that such mass events can be carried out in an uncontrolled manner. And emotions that belong to an EM are the opposite of control.
“The EM is an ideal terrain for the virus,” said chief physician of the infectious diseases of the Winterthur Cantonal Hospital. Several mass infections have already become known: Almost 2,000 Scottish fans were infected in London, as well as hundreds of Finns around two games in St. Petersburg. From his point of view, much more consistent protective measures are needed in hotspots like England or Russia.
The EM will demand a corona-related death toll, said Karrer. She is the “Ischgl in the square”. In March 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic, the Tyrolean winter sports resort was considered a corona hotspot, which is said to have contributed to the spread of the virus in parts of Europe.
The next few weeks will show to what extent the EM contributed to the spread of the virus and the intensification of the pandemic. It is conceivable that in Switzerland too, after a long period of falling case numbers, a U-turn is taking place.
There is also the delta version. In England or Portugal, this just proves that its transferability is so high that new waves among non-vaccinated people are possible even in summer. “In any case, we have to be careful that we don't get caught in a fourth wave in Switzerland.” Karrer expects that from mid-July, the twice as contagious delta mutation of the virus will dominate epidemiological events in Switzerland.
The current behavior depends on whether Switzerland can get through the winter without major restrictions. “We have the most effective vaccines available in sufficient quantities. Now the rule is:” vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate “.
