Corona: Virologist strongly warns of the second wave - she fears further drastic measures

A virologist is now urgently warning. It clarifies what Germany could face from a second wave. 

• Melanie Brinkmann doubts that life could soon be the same again.
• She is a virologist at the Helmholtz Center and has been doing research * on the novel corona virus * since the pandemic began .
• The easing of the protective measures * was a wrong signal, she says.

Braunschweig - "We are still at the beginning of the pandemic , many forget that," says Melanie Brinkmann. She is a virologist at the Helmholtz Institute for Infection Research in Braunschweig, actually with a focus on herpes viruses, but has been dealing with Sars-CoV-2 since the pandemic started.

That now L ockerungen of the measures to be introduced, makes her worry - too many people in her circle - would fail to recognize the seriousness of the situation and begin to meet again more people, "If that happens, we are soon back where we were in the beginning. "

Coronavirus: virologist fears second wave

Particularly difficult: Germany only notices very late when the new infections increase again - delayed by the time of the incubation until people go to the doctor, test results * are available and reported. "The consequences for the health system and the economy would then be much worse than now because again only drastic measures would remain as a solution across the country," said Brinkmann.

Corona virus: return to normalcy in another way

From the virologist's point of view, loosening can only be considered if there are better treatment options - the return to normality, like vacationing with friends, only if there is a vaccine * .

The correct steps would therefore be:

• permanently "low number of cases"
• that enable “consistent contact tracking”
• Fast "digital support" through an app, even at the expense of data protection
• that citizens only meet with other people in a small circle that remains “stable”

Good interview by Melanie Brinkmann. In particular: if we now have an ideological battle over the Corona App, we lose one of the most important weapons. The app must run voluntarily, anonymously and with peripheral data. Switched off after vaccine https://t.co/OPvbetwLFv

* Merkur.de is part of the Germany-wide Ippen-Digital editors network.

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