Less testing is not the main reason for the falling corona figures. However, the dampening factors are temporary.
Fewer tests, fewer cases — unrelated to the extent to which you’d think: “The numbers are falling faster than exponentially right now. Also, the positive percentage of tests has fallen,” says statistician Erich Neuwirth. The limitation to five free PCR tests isn’t huge – a survey by the Austrian Corona Panel in January found that nearly two-thirds perform up to four tests per month anyway.
Complexity researcher Peter Klimek lists three factors for relaxation:
- More than 2.6 million positive cases since the beginning of the year provide appropriate immunity.
- Seasonality: Fewer accumulations indoors lead to a lower incidence.
- Plateau: With no new variant on the radar at the moment, the past few weeks have been a plateau from which it must inevitably come down.
“All in all, dampening factors predominate, at the moment politicians can do little wrong with measures. The question is – for how long?” says Klimek. Since new variants can follow at any moment, the vaccination is limited in time: “The next wave is definitely coming, no one knows how high it will be.”
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
