Virologist tells of disastrous school preparations: Lanz reacts stunned - "Sorry ..."

The ZDF broadcast by Markus Lanz on Thursday was about Corona. SPD politician Karl Lauterbach warned about the Russian vaccine and launched a school revolution.

• Karl Lauterbach warns of the Russian corona vaccine in Markus Lanz's ZDF broadcast.
• At the same time he brings a school revolution into the room.
• The SPD politician also speaks of a second wave - but a virologist, who was also a guest, could not agree.

Hamburg - The “start of the second wave is clear”, Karl Lauterbach recently tweeted about the coronavirus *. On Thursday, the SPD * politician was a guest on the ZDF broadcast by Markus Lanz and the moderator wanted Lauterbach to know right at the beginning what phase you were currently in. "From my point of view, we are clearly at the beginning of the second wave," said Lauterbach. The numbers would increase, the R-value * is back at one. And, what is also typical with second waves, which, according to the politician, there is in almost every pandemic: The cases are spread across Germany and in all age groups.

(1) The start of the 2nd wave is clear. Now it can be braked relatively easily without a lockdown. We must seize the opportunity. Especially by taking measures against super spreaders. This includes the system for health authorities presented by @c_drosten https://t.co/w4YomYxVlK

Corona talk at Markus Lanz (ZDF): Virologist does not want to talk about the second wave

However, the increasing numbers do not mean that we have to go back to the lockdown, according to Lauterbach, "but from my point of view we have to completely revise the test strategy and the work of the health authorities ." Virologist Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit did not want to speak of a second wave yet, this can be said more clearly in retrospect. In addition, frequent use of the term causes uncertainty. Schmidt-Chanasit would therefore be more careful with its use. “When would I speak of it? When I see the health authorities being overburdened, it's a big problem on the prevention and response side, ”he explained.

“If we now had 5,000 or 10,000 infections a day, that's a completely different situation. That's why I'm very cautious when it comes to the concept of the second wave, ”the virologist continues. “We're just not there yet.” The most important thing at the moment is the AHA rule: distance, hygiene and everyday masks . Lanz adds that both Lauterbach and Schmidt-Chanasit talk about the same numbers but use different terminology. “I want to call things by their names”, said Lauterbach about the “second wave”. You have to act now, because "otherwise we will gamble away what we have built up in months and I just don't want that," the SPD politician continues. "Is what we're doing now enough?", Lauterbach then asked the question in the room and gave the answer himself: "There is my opinion: no."

Corona in Germany: PCR test is very precise - but results only days later

"In Germany, we are not as far as we could be when it comes to testing strategies," said Lauterbach. "In Germany we rely very heavily on the classic test," what is meant is the PCR test , which is very expensive. The test * is also very accurate, but the results are often only available days later.

Lauterbach in the Corona Talk with Markus Lanz (ZDF): "We are currently chasing the pandemic"

"We are currently running after the pandemic *," said the SPD politician with reference to the virologist Christian Drosten . "The strategy of the health authorities is not really ...", he starts before he praises them for their work, but: "It is a Sisyphean work and also extremely inefficient". If someone gets sick today, if he is already on the first or second day of his symptoms and has been very contagious before, he will be tested and receive the result a few days later: "Then he is almost no longer contagious".

If the health department then receives the message, "follow the contacts". By the time they are infected, they may no longer be contagious themselves, but have already infected other people. You are currently running after the pandemic with a too precise test, it is like driving a tank after rabbits "and whenever I have the rabbit in my sights, the rabbit is gone," says Lauterbach.

Markus Lanz (ZDF): Disastrous preparation for starting school - Lauterbach with a proposal

Claudia Pick , the chairwoman of the state parents' council of the grammar schools in Schleswig-Holstein, is also a guest on the program and reports that many parents would be critical of the start of school. You have to be prepared for the fact that some of the lessons have to take place at home, but you are not really prepared for it. “We're just not ready at the moment to catch that. We just don't have the digital options. The facilities in the schools and at home are not yet in place. ”The state has certainly brought a lot in motion and made funds available,“ but we're just somewhere on the way, ”says Pick, but one is not properly prepared.

Virologist Schmidt-Chanasit suggested mobile devices for ventilation so that the aerosol concentration in the air is low. These are already in use in hospitals. "One might cost 500 euros, well, then that's an investment of several million, but you have a significant improvement in the indoor air," he explained. "Sorry, very briefly again," Lanz interrupted him, almost in astonishment. "500 euros per classroom or restaurant , and then we could ...?" "That is a manageable sum in the end (...). Why is that not done then? ”Lanz wanted to know. The principle of hope was probably in the foreground, according to Lauterbach. The federal states had hoped to be able to start school and should something happen, the children would be taught at home in phases.

Ventilation is particularly important for everyday school life. “The air in German schools is rather bad,” Lauterbach continued, adding that this can be measured. Ventilation is particularly important, therefore Lauterbach advocated so rebuild window that you can open it really right, "If I air every half hour for ten minutes, then just takes the lesson than three quarters of an hour, but half an hour (... ) then the aerosol concentration in the air is so low that the children do not have to wear the mask at least during class, ”the SPD politician explains. By the way: According to the experts in the group, everyday masks do not help against the aerosol molecules anyway. "The mask actually does very little for aerosol defense," says Lauterbach. Only FFP-2 masks would also filter out something from the aerosol.

Markus Lanz (ZDF): Lauterbach with a warning about Russia's corona vaccine

A vaccine * has been approved in Russia. That is also an issue now. Schmidt-Chanasit couldn't say anything about this because there was so little information. However, the side effects must be clearly communicated. In severe cases, it can cause very severe, very rare side effects, such as inflammation of the brain or liver.

"It is conceivable that with the vaccination, the disease - if I get it - will be even more severe," adds Lauterbach. That is rare, but in this case it cannot be completely ruled out. “It's a ride across Lake Constance,” says Lauterbach. If that went wrong and became known, people could lose confidence in the vaccine, the politician said.

(1) Sputnik vaccine is primitive in structure, but it is a big risk. One of the two vector viruses often caused complications in the past. Station wagon is untested. The manufacturing purity unclear. Even worsening prognosis after vaccination is possible https://t.co/plnPyaN7Am

The corona pandemic continues to determine everyday life in Germany and the world. SPD expert Karl Lauterbach calls for a change of strategy in the fight against the virus. He is also targeting the federal government. In Bavaria there was an unprecedented glitch in the evaluation of the corona tests of return travelers. Prime Minister Markus Söder is now under criticism. * Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.