Status: 09/10/2022 09:47 am
Health Minister Lauterbach is currently expecting a moderately severe corona wave in autumn. Virologist Drosten predicts high incidence values before December – and warns of new virus variants.
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach commented on the corona situation in the country from October 1 after the new version of the Infection Protection Act recently passed by the Bundestag. He told the “Rheinische Post” that he was expecting a “moderate autumn wave” and that he did not see any lockdowns in Germany at the moment. “Lockdowns are no longer justifiable. Unless we come back to the pandemic situation. But I don’t see the danger,” said the SPD politician.
He expressed confidence that the government is very well prepared for all scenarios. “We will keep the corona wave under control this year,” said Lauterbach.
The Infection Protection Act stipulates, among other things, the wearing of FFP2 masks on buses and trains, in long-distance transport, in clinics and care facilities and in doctor’s offices. He also didn’t want any more action. “Because we couldn’t have gotten more through with the population,” said the Minister of Health. Closures of schools or the hospitality industry are no longer needed and he has never called for this autumn.
Virologist Drosten warns of new virus variants
The director of virology at the Berlin Charité, Christian Drosten, on the other hand, expects a strong corona wave before December. Even if the courses were easier, this would probably lead to significant work losses, he warned in the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”.
New variants of the corona virus made people sick again, so that many people could not go to work at all, regardless of isolation regulations. The infected “may not have to go to the hospital, but many are sick for a week,” Drosten explained. “If there are too many at once, it becomes a problem.”
Better precautions called for
The corona expert therefore called for better political precautions. “Before so many people get sick that you can’t buy anything anymore, that the hospitals don’t work anymore or there are no police officers at the station, you have to take measures,” said Drosten. This includes a renewed obligation to wear masks indoors.
In addition, politicians must ensure the collection of data, on the basis of which measures to contain corona waves can be decided quickly, Drosten demanded. To do this, she must already set criteria “when which signals one wants to act and how”. After all, immediate and far-reaching decisions are necessary in an emergency.
Drosten also advised the economy in the “SZ” to prepare for a wave of illness with deputy regulations and team building.
Lauterbach refers to possible measures by the federal states
Lauterbach referred to Drosten’s interview on Twitter and sees politicians well prepared for possible further waves of infection with the help of vaccines adapted to the omicron variant, the drug Paxlovid and good digital pandemic data.