"It is no longer necessary to avoid every infection": infectiologist for loosening - fear for winter 22/23
Created: 02/19/2022, 12:34 p.m
By: Juliane Gutmann
The corona incidences are higher than ever, but only a relatively few become seriously ill: Is that why you drop all infection control measures?
dr
Spinner gives answers.
"
In Germany, too, we expect the number of infections to drop significantly in mid-February or early March, by which time the peak of the fifth wave should be reached
", says Dr.
Christoph Spinner from the University Hospital Rechts der Isar in an exclusive interview with the Ippen central editorial office.
The numbers are currently still at their highest: The 7-day incidence of new corona infections nationwide on February 18 was 1371.7.
According to the Robert Koch Institute, the leading biomedical research facility of the German federal government, almost 236,000 people were infected with Corona on February 17th.
But the cases of those patients who have to be treated in intensive care units with Covid-19 are not increasing at the same rate.
In the Ippen interview, Dr.
Spinner from Klinikum Rechts der Isar about corona measures that will take effect in the next few weeks.
© IPPEN.MEDIA
In healthy people, infection with the virus usually results in a mild course of the disease.
According to researchers, this is also due to the spread of the
omicron virus mutant
*.
Although this is more contagious than Delta or other mutations, patients do not suffer from a more severe course of the disease
.
A research team from the Goethe University and the University Hospital in Frankfurt am Main and the British University of Kent in Canterbury are now investigating the cause.
Among other things, they conclude from their study that Omicron is less able to block cellular defense mechanisms against viruses than Delta.
As a result, serious illnesses are less likely to occur.
Against this background, can most or maybe even all infection protection measures such as the FFP-2 mask requirement be abolished?
dr
Spinner sees a particular problem when it comes to opening steps.
More on the subject:
Corona incidence higher than ever, intensive care cases are not increasing: hospitalization incidence as a new benchmark?
All Ippen interviews on the subject of Corona can be found here
Survey on Corona
Corona pandemic: Continue to protect vulnerable people such as the chronically ill
In order for the transition from pandemic to endemic* to succeed, sensible concepts are needed, according to the doctor: "In my view, swinging from one extreme to the other is not a good approach".
With a view to the summer, it is very likely that the infection protection measures will be significantly relaxed
, but for winter 2022/23 Christoph Spinner predicts a significant increase in the number of corona cases.
The infectiologist therefore hopes that sensible concepts for further dealing with the pandemic will be drawn up now.
"It is certainly already possible to think about where masks will really remain necessary in public, where 2G and 3G regulations can be relaxed.
Because it is no longer necessary to avoid every infection,” says Spinner.
Protection must be focused primarily on vulnerable groups
, such as the elderly and the chronically ill: "That's for sure, these people will remain at risk".
(jg) *Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.