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Austria makes quarantine announcement for monkeypox

The Ministry of Health has announced new quarantine guidelines for dealing with monkeypox in Austria.

Published: 24 May 2022 16:18 CEST
A test tube labelled
A test tube labelled "Monkeypox virus positive" in an illustration photo. Photo: Dado Ruvic/Reuters/Ritzau Scanpix

The Ministry of Health has published a set of guidelines for authorities after Austria reported its first case of the disease on Monday.

A three week quarantine now applies to contacts of confirmed cases, but only if they are showing symptoms of monkeypox, reports Der Standard.

The isolation period can be completed at home or at hospital, depending on the state of health of the patient.

Furthermore, contacts of a positive case will be treated as either Type I or Type II in a move similar to the management of Covid-19 contacts.

READ MORE: Monkeypox in Austria: What causes it and is it serious?

Type I contacts are considered as high-risk and include those who have had direct contact with skin lesions of an infected person, such as sexual partners, but also close passengers on planes, buses or trains for a period of at least eight hours. 

High-risk contacts do not have to isolate straight away but must monitor their condition for 21 days through a daily phone call with the health authorities. If symptoms occur, then the person has to quarantine for three weeks and a PCR test has to be carried out.

Type II contacts are short social contacts, such as work colleagues (not in the same office), or fleeting contacts in gyms, saunas or bathrooms. These contacts must monitor their health for 21 days.

READ ALSO: More pay and longer holidays: How Austria hopes to attract 75,000 new nurses

A case of monkeypox is confirmed after a positive result from a PCR test and Austria currently only has one confirmed case of monkeypox in Vienna.

The Ministry of Health has confirmed that positive cases of monkeypox are contagious for the entire duration of an infection, which can last from two to four weeks.

What are the symptoms of monkeypox?

The disease displays symptoms in two phases.

The first stage involves a high temperature, muscles aches, back ache, chills, headache, swollen glands and exhaustion.

This is typically followed a few days later by a rash on the mouth, throat, face, hands and forearms before spreading to other parts of the body. The genital area can also be affected.

READ MORE: Austria to ‘pause’ Covid mask mandate from June 1st

A patient is no longer contagious when the rash has disappeared.

To be considered a suspected case, a person must have been in contact with a probable or confirmed case of monkeypox, recently returned from West or Central Africa or been in contact with a potentially infected animal.

Additionally, a person must have developed a rash of unknown cause and at least two other symptoms (e.g. fever, chills) within 21 days after contact.

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HEALTH INSURANCE

How can I get an appointment with a physiotherapist in Austria?

If you are recovering from an injury, experiencing pain, or simply aiming to improve your physical function, visiting a physiotherapist is a good idea. Here is what you need to know about physiotherapy in Austria.

Published: 23 April 2024 11:02 CEST
How can I get an appointment with a physiotherapist in Austria?

Physiotherapy can be the key to improving mobility, managing pain, recovering from injuries, and optimising overall physical function. Many people will need such services at some point in their lives.

If you need a physiotherapist in Austria, you can choose between going to one who is contracted with your insurance company (Therapeut mit Kassenvertrag) or to a so-called elective therapist (Wahltherapeut). For both options, you will need a referral from a general practitioner, such as your family doctor (Hausarzt), if you want to access the service for free (with your e-card) or get a reimbursement for your treatment.

Physiotherapy through your health insurance company

If you want to go to a physiotherapist without having to pay for it, you can try to find a suitable physiotherapist who is contracted with your insurance company. 

Physiotherapy is free of charge if your therapist is contracted with large public insurance companies such as the Austrian Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK), Insurance Institution for Public Employees, Railways and Mines (BVAEB) or Social Insurance Institution for the Self-Employed (SVS).

These insurance companies settle directly with their contracted therapists and you do not need to pay anything out of pocket. However, accessing this kind of free treatment can sometimes be hard, as those with the most urgent needs are prioritised, which can result in long waiting times for appointments. 

Here you can find a list of physiotherapists who work privately but still have a contract with ÖGK, sorted by regions within Austria.

Physiotherapist of your choice

If you want to go to a therapist that is not contracted with your insurance company, you initially have to pay for the treatment yourself.

Once your treatment is completed and the treatment costs have been paid in full, you can apply to your health insurance company for reimbursement by submitting your confirmation of payment. Here you can find information on which other documents you may need to submit.

However, you will not be reimbursed the full amount. For example, with ÖGK, you usually receive about 80% of what contracted physiotherapists would get from ÖGK. If you are insured with SVS and BVAEB, the percentage is similar.

If you have another type of insurance, such as a private one, it is a good idea to check with them what their specific insurance covers.

Going to a physiotherapist can improve your quality of life. Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash

Where do I find a suitable therapist?

There are plenty of ways to find the right physiotherapist that fits your needs. Sometimes your family doctor may have a recommendation, or perhaps a friend can suggest one. If you prefer to explore on your own and consider more options, you can search for a therapist online.

Websites such as physioaustria offer useful search functions where you can find therapists based on specific criteria, such as specialisation or insurance contracts. You might also find physiotherapie.at helpful for your search.

READ MORE: Everything foreigners need to know about the Austrian healthcare system

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