After the first peak of the COVID 19 crisis, which in terms of health aspects Austria has survived far better than expected, it is now necessary to manage the disease and our everyday life, especially until suitable vaccines and medicines are available. To quote the famous image of Tomas Pueyo, the hammer is followed by a phase of dance, which has been implemented in Austria by largely shutting down public and social life. Experts throughout the country, including researchers from the CSHI (Center for Social & Health Innovation) at the MCI, are looking at how this transition to the "new normality" could be shaped. The focus of the considerations at the MCI is on an effective knowledge-based communication model.
A good risk management system should be characterized by an efficient dialogue involving the regional and local level. Siegfried Walch, initiator of the discussion at the MCI, explains: "We need a risk dialogue that continuously integrates current experience and scientific findings and - in keeping with our democratic system - follows both a top-down and a bottom-up approach".
At the center of the discussions is currently a so-called "Corona traffic light", a generally understandable concept which could form the basis of communication with the public. The Complexity Science Hub at the Medical University of Vienna has already published such a traffic light system at the suggestion of Martin Sprenger. Starting from clear objectives such as ensuring medical care, they would have to be worked out in a risk dialogue with experts from various disciplines and finally determined politically. A traffic light system refined in this way could then form the basis for risk management at local and regional level.
The figure shows the temporal COVID-19 progression in Austria by districts on the basis of a traffic light model. Traffic light: www.csh.ac.at
In this ongoing risk dialogue, the aim is to develop action and behavior patterns for the respective risk levels. In addition to general advice for the general population and information for risk groups, rules for social and health care institutions, but also instructions for action for various public sectors such as transport, companies, cultural institutions and authorities are being further developed.
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