ÖIF-HOTLINE: Telephone information line in your native language.
For information in English on how to contain the virus, the ÖIF employees are available from Monday to Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at +43 1/715 10 51 - 403!
In particular, older people and people with a weakened immune system are especially at risk. Help to protect these people. You can find out what you can do, what the right measures are and important up-to-date information on this site.
Based on previous risk assessments it is not possible to transmit the virus via food. I.e. the food in Austria is safe.
The doctor decides whether you actually are a suspected case and decides on a test. The test result is available within a few hours.
In the event of a suspected case special safety criteria are applied, which are recommended by the Ministry of Health in consultation with experts and derived from international guidelines. A sick person will be isolated, contact persons will be identified, informed and, depending on the situation, can for example be quarantined.
The aim of all measures is to ensure that as few people as possible in Austria are infected by the pathogen.
There is no vaccine. Treatment is symptomatic, i.e. by alleviating the symptoms of the disease, for example by giving antipyretic agents.
At present mortality (= lethality) of around 2.3 percent is assumed.
The mortality rate from seasonal influenza varies. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) estimates that around 15,000 to 75,000 people die prematurely from influenza-related causes each year in the EU, England, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. In Austria an estimated long-term average of around 1,500 people die each year from the consequences of the flu or flu-like illnesses.
As of today, there is no definitive information about how dangerous the virus is. For the time being, the novel coronavirus seems to be considerably less dangerous than MERS (with a mortality rate of up to 30 percent) and SARS (approx. 10 percent mortality rate). For the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), the assumed mortality rate is up to three percent. Just like for the seasonal flu caused by influenza viruses (mortality rate under 1 percent), especially elderly people and people with a weak immune system are affected.
Video "Wo dangerous is the novel coronavirus?" (AGES/Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety)
Common coronavirus infections affecting humans are mostly mild and symptom-free. Frequent indicators of an infection with the novel coronavirus are, among others, fever, cough, shortness of breath, and difficulty breathing. In severe cases, the infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure, or even death. Mild illness courses (symptoms of a cold) as well as infections without any symptoms can occur. Some cases can progress mildly (symptoms of a cold) and some cases do not show any symptoms.
Currently, experts assume that the course of the illness for the novel coronavirus is less severe than for SARS and MERS.
Video "How does the illness manifest itself?" (AGES/Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety)
Hygiene measures are to be followed, just like during the flu season. The most important and most effective measure to protect yourself and others from getting a respiratory infection are good hand hygiene, correct cough etiquette, and keeping a minimum distance (approx. 1 to 2 meters) to people who might be infected.
More answers to questions about “corona-related short-term working” is available in the latest publication of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Labor, Family and Youth.
There are currently only three reasons for leaving the house:
To go to work if necessary.
Wherever possible, people should work from home by telework.
All those who work in areas that ensure supply in our country are excluded.
To run urgent errands.
This includes urgent tasks, such as buying groceries or going to the pharmacy.
To help other people.
Due to health reasons many people in Austria are currently dependent on our help, for example they cannot buy groceries themselves.
Whoever leaves his house to help others, should be able to do this during the restriction period.
In special exceptional cases: whoever wants to go outside in an urgent case should only do this alone or with the people they live together in the same apartment.
As of today, public spaces will be closed and future events will be completely prohibited.
As of Tuesday, 17 March 2020, restaurants will be completely closed.
In addition the entry ban will be extended to further countries.
Package for quick and unbureaucratic direct financial aid
Corona crisis management fund set up, endowed with 4 billion euros
To ensure liquidity, to secure jobs and help for hardship cases
Supply chains are strengthened so that food and medicine do not run out in Austria and Europe
No lessons in upper secondary school from Monday, 16 March 2020
Teaching should largely be switched to distance learning
Details of the effects on the secondary school certificate will be announced on Thursday, 19 March 2020
No lessons in lower secondary school and elementary school from Wednesday, 18 March 2020
Wherever possible private care arrangements should be made
Where private childcare arrangements are not possible, children can continue to be sent to school
Warning: At the moment incorrect information about the corona virus is circulated. Please trust only official sources such as the Austrian ones, international health authorities, the Federal Chancellery or state institutions and ministries.
Below you will find some of the current rumours and false reports and in response the official and verified data from the World Health Organization (WHO):
People of every age can be infected with the new coronovirus. Elderly people or people with an underlying health condition - as for example asthma, diabetes, a heart disease etc – seem to have an increased risk for a more severe course of disease. Since lots of old people are already immunodeficient or have previous illnesses, they are of course more affected.
However, the WHO advises people of every age to protect themselves from the virus with appropriate hygiene precautions.
This is not true. To minimise social contacts will contribute significantly to a reduction of the infection rate and prevent overloading a health system. A rapidly growing number of sufferers within a short period of time could exceed the health care capacities so that it would no longer be possible to care for everyone at the same time. Therefore it is important to reduce the infection rate as far as possible to spread the disease over an extended timespan and secure sufficient capacities for the acutely ill patients. By doing so the steep curve of the case numbers is flattened; the process is therefore called „flatten the curve principle“.
To keep the curve as flat as possible you should leave the house only for important activities, for example to do the shopping or work that cannot be delayed, provided it cannot be done from the home office. In this case, you should keep the greatest possible distance from other people. The fewer contacts the individual has with others, the lower the risk of getting infected and, if you are already infected, infecting others.
No. Currently there is no evidence that pets like dogs or cats can contract the new coronavirus.
However, it is always recommendable to wash your hands with soap after touching a pet. This protects you from various bacteria, like for example E.coli or Salmonella, which can in fact be transmitted from animals to humans.
Hand dryers are no effective means to kill the virus on the palms of the hands. To protect yourself against the virus you should regularly and thoroughly wash your hands with soap. As soon as your hands are clean you can use paper towels or hand dryers to dry your hands.
Thermal scanners are effective in detecting people who due to an infection with the new coronavirus have developped a fever or have an increased body temperature. They do not identify people who are already infected but are not (yet) feverishly ill. The reason is that it can take two to up to ten days until infected people develop a fever.
No. Even if you spray your whole body with alcohol or chlorine, you cannot kill any viruses that have already invaded your body. Moreover, the spraying of such substances can be harmful to the mucous membranes in your mouth and eyes and can damage your clothes.
Chlorine and alcohol can be useful for disinfecting surfaces but they should be applied only according to manufacturer information.
No. Vaccines against pneumonia, like for example those against Pneumococcal or Haemophilus influenza type B (Hib) offer no protection against the new coronavirus.
This virus is so new and different that it requires a special vaccine. Researchers in cooperation with the WHO try to develop a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 respectively.
Nevertheless, to avoid a double infection. WHO recommends a vaccination against respiratory diseaeses, even though it is not effective against COVID-19.
No. There is no evidence that regular nasal irrigations with saline protect against an infection with the new coronavirus. There is little evidence that regular nasal irrigations can contribute to a quick recovery when you are affected by a cold.
Generally, garlic is a very healthy food with antibacterial properties. However, there is no evidence that the consumption of garlic protects people against the new coronavirus.
No. Antibiotica are only effective against bacteria, not viruses. SARS-CoV-2 is a virus therefore you shouldn‘t take antibiotica as a means of prevention or treatment.
If you are transferred to hospital because of COVID-19, you might get antibiotics against a possible bacterial coinfection.