Criticism of Corona warning
Massive headwind for Lauterbach: “‘Killer variant’ promising candidate for nonsense of the year”
Corona “killer variant” in autumn? Health Minister Karl Lauterbach is accused of causing unnecessary uncertainty among the population.
© John MacDougall / AFP
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach probably overshot the mark with his warning of a possible dangerous corona variant. Above all, the SPD politician creates uncertainty, criticize virologists.
When most of the Corona measures were recently declared over, many hardly recognized the Minister of Health. He had tirelessly warned of new variants of the corona virus, for some even stoked fear, and then that. Now the Corona Warner Lauterbach is back and is talking about a possible “killer variant” of the virus that could threaten us in the fall. This generates multiple contradictions.
Virologists in particular have no understanding of the term “killer variant”. This is unscientific and leads to nothing but uncertainty in the population, criticized the Hamburg virologist Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit of the “Bild” newspaper. Other experts, patient advocates and politicians were also critical.
Karl Lauterbach fears dangerous omicron variant
Lauterbach had expressed concern in the “Bild am Sonntag” about various omicron subvariants that were just developing. “It is quite possible that we will get a highly contagious omicron variant that is as deadly as Delta. That would be an absolute killer variant,” said the SPD politician.
In his opinion, the obligation to wear masks indoors, which has now been largely abolished, could also be reintroduced in autumn. Due to increasing numbers and probable new mutations, the Infection Protection Act will have to be revised again by then. It could then be necessary again to make wearing a mask indoors compulsory, said Lauterbach. The numbers initially fell further over the Easter days, although a delay in reporting can be assumed due to the public holidays.
According to the currently applicable Infection Protection Act, mask requirements are only possible in a few areas such as medical practices or public transport. In order to be able to order further measures, the federal states must declare regions as hotspots by state parliament resolution. According to the law, this hotspot rule and the mask requirement in surgeries, buses and trains can only be applied until September 23rd.
WHO considers “killer variant” unlikely
Schmidt-Chanasit currently sees little evidence of a danger, as Lauterbach describes it: “According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the occurrence of a “killer variant” in autumn is a very unlikely scenario,” said the expert. The broad basic immunization in the population through vaccination and infection also speaks against this, “because immunity is not only based on neutralizing antibodies, but also on cellular immunity”.
The Bonn virologist Hendrik Streeck also reacted sceptically. “You cannot predict the development of variants. Instead of warning of scenarios like “killer variants”, it would be important to prepare for autumn and winter,” he said “Bild”.
Vague forecasts “unhelpful”
The deputy chairman of the Greens parliamentary group, Konstantin von Notz, tweeted, “with all due respect for the expertise of Karl Lauterbach and my full solidarity because of all the unspeakable hostility towards his person, I hold vague predictions about the “possibility” of the emergence of a ” absolute killer variant” for really unhelpful.”
His parliamentary colleague Tabea Rößner wrote: “Killer variant is a promising candidate for the nonsense of the year.” The CDU health politician Erwin Rüddel tweeted in response to Lauterbach’s statement: “He should have actually learned from his mistakes and misjudgments.”
The head of the German Foundation for Patient Protection, Eugen Brysch, told the German Press Agency that fear is a bad advisor. “That’s why the Federal Minister of Health should refrain from making apocalyptic prophecies. That doesn’t mean going into the Corona autumn unprepared.”