Norwegian experts expect new corona wave this autumn

Several Norwegian experts expect a new coronavirus wave to come this autumn.

Immunologist Gunnveig Grødeland at the University of Oslo and professor of virology Rebecca Cox at the Influenza Center in Bergen say that they still believe that the coronavirus is on its way to becoming a seasonal virus like the flu, the newspaper Aftenposten writes.

As for the flu, they also reckon that new virus variants will appear regularly over time, but it is not known whether a new virus variant will be able to cause serious illness.

“But we know that we are much better prepared than before due to broad vaccination and good immunity in the population,” Grødeland said.

Respiratory viruses such as influenza and COVID-19 thrive when it gets colder, as it does during the autumn. That is why experts believe that the coronavirus is here to stay.

“I’m not sure if it will be the omicron variant. Many people have already been infected with omikron. Therefore, there is a good deal of immunity in the population against omicron now,” Cox told the newspaper.

Grødeland says that both the vaccine and the number of people who recovered from infection provide basic protection against new varieties. Still, Grødeland thinks it may be wise to give a booster dose to the elderly over 60 years in the autumn.

Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews

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