Can the Corona Virus Be Defeated Without a Vaccine? This is the opinion of a genome researcher - who has completely different ideas for curbing viruses: "This would have eliminated the virus in four to five weeks."
- Work is currently underway to produce a vaccine against the coronavirus * .
- But does it even need to contain Covid-19 ?
- There is now a new proposal from science - with which the corona virus could apparently be eliminated within a few weeks.
- Here you will find the basic facts about the corona virus * and the corona news from Germany. You can also find current case numbers in Germany here as a map *. The following recommendations for corona protective measures * are currently available.
Munich - Since the spread of the coronavirus, people have been longingly talking about a vaccine. This is not yet available. The production of a possible vaccine has developed into a global race - Germany is also getting involved. The President of the Federal Institute for Vaccines, Professor Klaus Cichutek, recently saw two German research projects "close to the clinical trial."
But do you need these pharmaceuticals at all? A genome researcher is now proposing an alternative to curbing viruses.
Corona: Scientist presents new idea: "We would have eliminated the virus in four to five weeks"
A genome describes the entirety of all genes in the human body. Genome researchers are concerned with these genes and also try to use them to recognize diseases and to prevent them. So does Hans Lehrach, director of the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin.
Hans Lehrach is certain that the corona pandemic could be stopped without a vaccine - and that within a few weeks. The researcher told focus.de: “In theory, it's actually quite simple. We have to systematically interrupt the infection cycle. Around 80 million people live in Germany and around 400 million in the European Schengen area. If you were to test all these people in a closed room, i.e. the national or Schengen borders at the same time, you would have a clear picture of what is happening in the infection. ”
Infected people would then have to go to a two-week quarantine *. Once they are no longer contagious, “the number of reproductions * would drop to zero in a very short time.” The genome researcher sees light at the end of the tunnel of the corona containment , because “we would have eliminated the virus within four to five weeks.”
Coronavirus: containment possible without vaccine? An idea with obstacles
In theory, this suggestion reads not bad. But on closer inspection there are problem areas. Science currently assumes that Covid-19 can no longer be transmitted after a single infection. However , it is still not entirely clear how long this possible immunity lasts *. In addition, Lehrach links his ideas to an enormous number of corona tests : "My suggestion would be to send people kits with several tubes with which they can carry out multiple tests themselves."
But the next obstacle may be lurking here. It is questionable whether sufficient tests can be guaranteed everywhere. The scientist also sees "very large logistical problems". In Germany, supposedly insufficient test capacities * have already been discussed in the past, but the Federal Republic is currently in control of the situation. However, the situation is likely to be more difficult in countries with poorer health systems.
How the #Corona virus changed the behavior of citizens - with data from #Google and #Apple, which our editorial team evaluated: https://t.co/XkU4k9nrLN
- Merkur.de (@merkur_de) April 28, 2020Coronavirus: Does a Vaccine Ever Need? "Can test all of Europe in one day"
However, if these kits can be made available in large quantities, Lehrach is confident: “This process would have to be automated. We can then pour all the samples together, process and analyze them using high-performance machines. This is possible very quickly, in a single sequencing run that might take a day, we could test the entire European population. ”
According to Lehrach, the financial aspect - a test may cost a few euros - can be managed. Creating the infrastructure is much cheaper than sending people in short-time work * over several weeks. In addition, the system could also be used for possible future pandemics. Lehrach is convinced of his idea: “Ultimately, there were and were such hurdles. They were also there to send a person to the moon and bring them back - and yet we mastered them. Then we will do it. "
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* merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network
Rubric list picture: © dpa / Friso Gentsch
