Covid in Austria: Zero Covid Hawk and Virologist Discovers the Immune System
A snapshot in time and, perhaps, a teachable moment, if we didn't have to suffer under these people and their 'expertise' for three years…
Good morning, I suppose, from Dorothee van Laer, MD, and Professor of Virology at the U of Innsbruck, Austria. As readers of these pages here know, Dr. von Laer has a special place in my heart of hearts, if only because she’s been one of the country’s most consistent (Zero) Covid Hawks, unashamed by errors or her own past statements. And, browsing the papers early in the morning, here she prostrated herself and her ignorance yet once more.
The below piece appeared in the tabloid Heute on 29 Jan. 2023, but it’s a summary of a longer TV appearance in ORF, the state broadcaster. ‘Enjoy’ (emphases mine).
‘Killer cells’: Virus Expert Makes New Corona Announcement
Star virologist Dorothee von Laer now puts her foot down on Corona and clarifies whether there could be new recommendations for vaccinations again.
The Corona situation in Austria has stabilised in the meantime and the number of cases has remained within certain [low] ranges for months! Although Vienna still has a strict FFP2 mask requirement while commuting on public transport, this has not been the case in the remaining states for quite some time.
In general, people in Austria seem to have learned to live with the virus—no wonder! After all, many people who are at home in the Alpine republic have already been vaccinated several times against the Coronavirus—or have even recovered [note the rank-order]. But what is the next step with the vaccinations?
Why You Should Take a Fourth Shot
Star virologist Dorothee von Laer commented on precisely this topic in the programme ‘Burgenland heute’ on Saturday. Von Laer explains:
For this winter, vaccine uptake certainly provides a very solid basis. But it should be especially those who are older or have an underlying disease who should have a fourth jab.
And what happens after this winter? Do people need to get a booster vaccination every year? ‘Probably so. Predictions are always a bit problematic with this virus, but I think we will have vaccination campaigns every autumn, then always against the latest virus or the latest variant’, the expert clarified.
Do We Still Need Measures?
In the future, Covid vaccination will probably be given in combination with the flu shot. According to Dorothee von Laer, the pandemic is indeed ‘over insofar as Corona is now another infectious disease that we have now’.
Asked if there is still a need for mandates or measures against the virus, the star virologist explained:
It's a bit different culturally. In Asia, people like to wear masks when they go out, especially in winter when many people have colds or flu infections.
Von Laer actually finds it ‘quite a good cultural thing and it would be nice if people at least weren’t looked at as if they are morons [dumm angeschaut] who now wear a mask while riding the subway or in the supermarket. I think it's a good measure.’ After all, she reiterated, the mask not only protects you, but other people as well [no evidence needed, except for Dr. van Laer’s crude and borderline racist stereotyping worthy of late 19th-century armchair ethnographers…]
Where Should You Still Wear a Mask
In hospitals and doctors’ offices, however, you should definitely continue to wear a mask, according to the expert. ‘Wearing a mask in the waiting room or nursing home is very sensible if you continue to do so.’ But what will remain of the pandemic?
I think in a year or two it will all be normalised [Normalität]. Some will be a bit more careful not to catch it, some will get vaccinated, some won’t.
‘Killer Cells’ Suppress the Virus
However, according to the virologist, the virus continues to evolve and certain sub-variants are even more contagious and ‘bypass the immune system a little better’ [reminder: ‘many people…have already been vaccinated several times against the Coronavirus—or have even recovered’]. But the good news is, these variants ‘bypass the immune system, but the immune system still has a second arm, our so-called killer cells!’ [Gee, I wish they would also teach immunology in medical school…]
And it is these ‘killer cells’ that the virus cannot defend itself against, von Laer said. ‘The virus is still suppressed by these killer cells’, says von Laer. Meaning: ‘We do get infected with the new variants, but we don’t get seriously ill any more; that’s what these killer cells prevent.’
Bottom Lines
Lots to learn, eh? Several shots of these injectable products, people ‘even recovered’: can you imagine?
I’m a bit unsure what annoys me more: the stupidity and lunacy of this ‘star virologist’ who’s so comfortable showcasing her ignorance in public it makes the ‘naked emperor’ of childhood fairy tales blush (h/t to fellow substacker ‘The Naked Emperor’, who’s emphatically not meant here)—OR the fact that von Laer still gets invited to spread this nonsense on TV.
Next up, as far as teachable moments are concerned, von Laer apparently found time to develop a nice hobby, ethnography. Infused with stunning levels of condescension, we’re apparently now entered the ‘let’s do all what “Asians” are doing, because…’ stage of the ‘pandemic’.
As a reminder, Wuhan, China, incidentally has about 4 times as many inhabitants as Austria—yet, the territorial extent of both is approximately the same, to say nothing about pollution etc. One wonders why ‘Asians’ are wearing masks. (Hint: it might also be because Communism has quashed dissent and freedom beforehand, in addition to, say, ‘re-education camps’.)
Finally, Covid + Flu Shots? Where did I hear about this notion before?
Right:
Why don’t you just go away, Dr. von Laer? Or move to Wuhan? I bet we’d all be better off…
Wuhan would accept all these self-proclaimed expert, labs are ready for this expertise.
I would remind people immunity is a function of eating healthy food, also to mention the happiness of satiation, that fascist crap is what's poisoning people. Now they want the people to survive on chitin. I suppose its a choice, eat chitin for a shortened fully connected to the internet life or be normal as our ancestors who took care of themselves.