Corona: Drosten makes a "contact diary" suggestion for the winter and is ridiculed - even from the "heute show"

Virologist Christian Drosten is back with assessments of a second wave - and explains how, in his opinion, a second lockdown can be avoided.

• The coronavirus pandemic * is not over yet.
• The virologist Christian Drosten now expressed himself in a guest post for " Die Zeit" .
• He explained how, in his opinion, a second lockdown can be avoided.

Update from August 9, 2020: With clear assessments of the novel coronavirus , virologist Christian Drosten has quickly made a name for himself since the arrival of the pandemic in Germany - but his soberly formulated suggestions for dealing with the virus risk not only earn the expert approval. Just days ago, Drosten has a time strongly polarized -Gastbeitrag. The focus is primarily on two controversial points: the idea of ​​tracking down “source clusters” instead of tracking down infection chains. And the idea of letting people in Germany keep a voluntary "contact diary" .

The “contact diary” in particular leads to heated debates on social networks. You can read on Twitter, among other things, the warning of an end to privacy - also, but not only, from corona deniers. But criticism also comes from a more qualified position - this is how the medical columnist of the Süddeutsche Zeitung , Werner Bartens , criticizes that Drosten, who is otherwise blessed with "logic" and a "talent for enlightenment", has "galloped" here.

“Despite all the Teutonic inwardness, this will remain alien to many people. In addition, the fear of private snooping and lack of data protection will immediately pay "Bartensleben writes overlooking the envisaged" diary "in a recent contribution (Article after payment barrier) at the same time be open who the. Data can evaluate at all -" it is already questionable who looks through the lists with spooky address information that are on display in restaurants or sports facilities. "

There is criticism and ridicule at the same time from the most varied of camps. The AfD member of the Bundestag Martin Renner wrote in view of the proposal in the social media of an "absolute surveillance". The ZDF satire show “heute show” focused on the practical aspects: “Hey, I just met you. And this is crazy, but I would need your address and your full name, ”the editorial team outlined a bizarre follow-up scenario.

Christian Drosten recommends keeping a contact diary in winter.
Hey, I just met you. And this is crazy, but I need your address and full name, please.

However, there was also approval for Drosten's theses recently. For example, the SPD health politician Karl Lauterbach again spoke out in a tweet as a virologist for the identification of superspreaders and infection clusters. To do this, you have to give up tracking individual cases, he stated: "Both are not possible at the same time because of capacity".

Second Corona wave: Virologist Drosten gives controversial recommendation - "Contact diary" against Corona?

First report from August 5, 2020: Munich / Berlin - Christian Drosten, virologist at the Berlin Charité, regularly comments on the coronavirus pandemic in his podcast on NDR . The series is currently in the summer break. But in a guest post for “ Die Zeit” the virologist spoke up again - and spoke, among other things, about the feared “second wave” . Drosten also explained how, in his opinion, a second lockdown can be avoided.

“When the Covid 19 epidemic reached Germany, the country reacted quickly and well. In hardly any other major industrial nation have so few people died of the disease, "wrote Drosten, who was awarded a special prize for outstanding corona communication, right at the beginning of his guest article published on Wednesday in" Die Zeit " . The first wave could be controlled better than many others. This is due to the fact that tests were carried out early and there was greater trust between society, politics and infection sciences than elsewhere.

"Our early and short lockdown saved the economy a lot of damage," says the virologist . In order to limit the economic damage, Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht recently made a proposal.

Coronavirus: According to Drosten, the second wave will have a completely different dynamic

At the same time, however, Drosten warns : “Now we run the risk of wasting our success.” There are currently a lot of new things being learned about the virus , but implementation is only hesitant. The virologist formulated several questions that had to be answered. Among other things, he asks: “What consequences do we draw from the knowledge that the virus is mainly transmitted via the air - not only via the classic droplet infection, but also via aerosols? What does that mean in autumn and winter for public buildings, for daycare centers and schools, for offices and authorities, for hospitals and nursing homes? "

Families too could face a whole new dilemma if the number of infections increases.

Corona: Drosten warns of the risk of wasting the success achieved - "contact diary" as a solution?

According to Drosten , people have to be prepared for the fact that a second wave will have a completely different dynamic. "While the virus entered the population with the first wave, it will spread out of the population with the second wave," explains the virologist in his article. As a result, chains of infections that have recently been easily traceable could become more difficult to trace due to more extensive and simultaneous infections in the future.

Dear politicians, this time listen to Christian #Drosten in good time before the second wave storms in on us.

Nevertheless, Germany is not at the mercy of a possible second wave . The goal must be to contain clusters in a targeted manner. The virologist names Japan as a role model , which brought the first wave under control without a lockdown . Drosten is now proposing that every citizen should keep a contact diary over the winter .

Corona: Drosten wants to rely on the detection of source clusters

“By focusing on the source of the infection, the newly diagnosed patient becomes an indicator of an undetected source cluster that has grown in the meantime. The members of a source cluster must immediately be put into home isolation. Many of these could be highly infectious without even knowing it. There is no time for tests, ”he explains.

According to Drosten , examples of so-called source clusters could be open- plan offices , football teams, adult education courses and school classes. The latter one has to pay particular attention to in autumn: "Because there is only a small proportion of symptomatic cases, especially among younger students, every case of a symptomatic student can indicate a source cluster."

"Everyone involved must accept that in times of crisis not every infection can be prevented," wrote Drosten in his article. The medical officers and health authorities are currently following the guidelines of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) very precisely . In difficult times, however, the health authorities must be allowed to ignore the residual risk of infections . "You have to deploy the few staff where it matters: in the clusters," explains the virologist .

There will be corona demos in Germany again this weekend.

Corona: Pragmatic way to stop cluster growth according to Drosten, best solution

The existing recommendations of the RKI are precise and correct, but the offices need an additional crisis mode . “This includes simplified monitoring of the individual contacts, the definition of cluster situations that are subject to immediate and general quarantine, as well as a short cluster decay time allowing a residual virus load. There must be agreement on this, ”warns Drosten .

Without #Lockdown, but with residual risk: The virologist @c_drosten writes exclusively in @DIEZEIT how we get through the autumn with #Corona. His thoughts on the second wave, on the shortened #quarantine and #masking in crisis mode. #Subscription https://t.co/vyEFwcUcWp #red

Should there be a second wave , the virologist considers a pragmatic way to stop cluster growth to be the best solution - "without lockdown, but with residual risk". This requires the entire population, employers and politicians to think along. Drosten goes on to explain: "Everyone has to understand and support this path, including by following general measures such as the requirement to wear a mask and restricting private celebrations." An epidemiologist now classifies Drosten's proposal as "efficient, but not desirable".

Doctors warn of possible consequential damage from Covid 19 disease - especially to the lungs. A corona study from Wuhan, China, now points in this direction. Virologists shouldn't be treated like pop stars - says a leading CDU politician. In Belgium, the city of Antwerp has now been declared a risk area. There you react with your own "Corona village". (ph) * Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital network

In the video: Drosten twice awarded for Corona podcast

List of rubric lists: © Michael Kappeler / dpa / dpa-pool / picture alliance