Answers from the Municipality's Executive Physician

Answers from the Municipality’s Executive Physician 

Sidsel Storhaug is the Exective Physician of Ås municipality, and she has held this position during the entirety of the corona pandemic. Many are likely to know her from her liberal statements, which have not gone unnoticed by the Ås-students. In the light of the vaccine survey, Tuntreet decided to have a chat with her, and find out what she thinks about the responses. 

Journalist: Tord Kristian F. Andersen
Photographer: Nathalie Genevieve Bjørneby
Translator: Aleksander Mæland Munkejord

When Will Everyone Have Been Offered a Vaccine? 
I refer to the current results, where we can see that most people believe in an offer between August and November. The Senior Consultant herself is a bit more cautious in her guess and says that she believes in October and hopes for September. August seems unlikely. She obviously speaks from experience. Ås is second to last of all municipalities in Viken, in regards to percentage of the population that are fully vaccinated (ca. 4.3%). Storhaug is not shy about her opinion on how the distribution of vaccines to Ås has been frighteningly low, something she also lets the Norwegian Institute of Public Health hear every time they speak. The vaccine is mainly offered from where you are officially registered. Each municipality has the duty of vaccinating all its habitants, but Sidsel emphasizes that “if you get an offer at home, do not say no”. This is mostly due to Ås’ slow distribution, and that waiting for a vaccine in Ås will make it even slower. A large part of the current delay is due to the cancelling of the AstraZeneca vaccine.  

Public Skepticism of AstraZeneca 
The survey shows that people have mixed feelings about AstraZeneca. There is no abrupt rise in the amount of people less willing to take AstraZeneca, and Storhaug is not surprised. “The vaccine saves more people than it doesn’t save”. Only a minority is affected, and the late effects of corona are mostly worse. The vaccination activity in Ås was at its highest in the weeks 7, 8, 9 and 10. This was mostly thanks to the mentioned vaccine, and thus Ås has fallen far behind as a result of the cancellation. Only the Pfizer-vaccine is currently given in Ås. Nearby municipalities use both Pfizer and Moderna interchangeably.  

About Cutting in Line 
Speaking of AstraZeneca, I mention the discontent about the vaccination expressed by the mayor and his deputy. This is something Sidsel defends strongly. At that time, there was an abundance of vaccines relative to the amount of health personnel it was to be used on. She spoke with the Institute of Public Health, and they agreed it was a good idea that people in the crisis management got the vaccine. In other words, that was a conscious decision.  

The Test Center  
Several of the comments express discontentment about the test capacity. In particular, the outbreak at Eika in February and the Easter travels (see reader’s letter in TT04). Specifically, people comment on the difficulties getting a test during outbreaks, and that some have been denied tests for travelling. The Executive Physician fails to understand this discontentment. Sidsel calls Terese Støylen, leader of the test facility, so I can have the best answers possible. She informs us that throughout the year it varies from 150 to 1500 tests per week. “We cannot be staffed for 1500 tests every week, as there’s almost never a need for 1500 tests, and getting reinforcements in place during an outbreak can take time”, is how Terese justifies people without symptoms being denied, especially in periods with high demand.  

“We’ve almost never had any issues testing everyone who are tested because they are sick or close contacts”, Terese says, and no one have had to wait any longer than what is expected. She points out that “there have been many who wished to get tested because they were travelling within Norway for Easter, and we simply have not had capacity for them because of the outbreaks.” The fact that the recommendation was to not travel has also made these groups not prioritized, and have therefore been asked to get it arranged privately. “Before the winter break, when there were no recommendations against traveling, we had a deal with NMBU that we would test all the students who wanted it, as we had the capacity at the time.” When outbreaks happen, they need to be prioritized. The test center appreciates that the students have been friendly, and diligent in getting tested when they experience symptoms. 

Before we hang up, Terese wishes to remind everyone to use all the opening hours for calling and avoid the rush between 9 and 10 Monday morning, or to register for testing via the website of Ås municipality.   

The Generation that Fell Through the Cracks 

The frustration among the youth has not gone unnoticed by the Executive Physician. She understands that people feel isolated, and that they cannot do the visits they have planned. I ask her about the signals that are put out through the great restrictions that have affected the students. After all, the youngest ones should be shielded, while the business world also needs to keep going. “Young adults have fallen through the cracks”, the Executive Physician concludes.  

The University in Ås 
The fact that the workers at NMBU who needed to be present at the school could do this without getting tested, while students up until recently had no opportunity at all to carry out activities that are essential for their study progression, is unfortunate. Luckily, students are now able to get rapid tests, and once again go to campus. When I ask if it wouldn’t be logical for the workers to be tested as well, Storhaug agrees. She is also very pleased with the university having no positive test results.  

She could wish for a larger reopening, as long as we’re in control, but it is also important to remember that many of the measures are imposed by the government, and not locally decided. This goes for both reading halls and restaurants. Storhaug thinks that a larger and strictly controlled reopening is better than people gathering privately.  

Newspaper Statements 
In regards to the comments about her statements in the papers, she has mixed feelings. The intention behind using the papers has been to reach as many as possible, as a supplement to the information that should be fully available on the website. I ask her whether keeping it behind a paywall is a bit counterproductive? “They shouldn’t have been plus-articles […] but they need to pay the bills too”. After all the statements, many people have the impression that the Senior Consultant is going after groups and individuals. “I have been going after one group, but that’s the people who don’t follow the infection control measures”. She thinks most people are doing great and emphasizes that it was never her intention to be critical towards the students as a group. Storhaug wishes to get to the ones who are breaking the rules. I ask her specifically about the incident where she asked the Rector to expel students for partying during the buddy week in 2020, and Storhaug says that even if, realistically, no one would have been expelled, she wants people to understand that they are adults, and that they have to be responsible. She adds that the papers often broaden her statements, and that they, in many cases, end up less nuanced than she intends.  

Most of all, Sidsel wants people to be careful. She wants to protect the people in Ås, even the students, and regardless of how her statements have been perceived, she wishes to point out that she is impressed by the effort and patience of the majority of students in Ås. Like everyone else, she is looking forward to the end of the lockdown.