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Why Sweden will probably never achieve herd immunity - Munich virologist contradicts Anders Tegnells

2020-08-12T07:57:58.124Z


Sweden's chief epidemiologist Anders Tegnell has propagated a special corona path. He is also critical of the mask requirement. The Munich Prof. Dr. med. Josef Eberle sees it differently.


Sweden's chief epidemiologist Anders Tegnell has propagated a special corona path. He is also critical of the mask requirement. The Munich Prof. Dr. med. Josef Eberle sees it differently.

  • Sweden has been going a "special path" since the beginning of the corona pandemic.
  • Chief epidemiologist Anders Tegnell spoke out against the mask requirement in an interview.
  • The Munich Prof. Dr. med. Josef Eberle explains what is important when it comes to protection in the Corona crisis

Munich - Sweden has been on a controversial path since the beginning of the corona pandemic . The focal point of the strategy of chief epidemiologist Anders Tegnell is the so-called herd immunity - which Sweden has not yet achieved and, according to experts, will not achieve either. Herd immunity is "to be assumed in about two thirds of the infection," says Prof. Dr. med. Josef Eberle , virologist at the Max von Pettenkofer Institute of the Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich (LMU). So for around 67 percent of the population . Sweden's chief epidemiologist Tegnell currently speaks of 20 to 40 percent immunity - in Stockholm mind you.

"In order to achieve herd immunity, one would have to allow many infections in people with low risk - for example young people, without diabetes, without high blood pressure - without exceeding the upper limit of the available intensive care beds," explains Prof. Eberle. Only: Because of the "apparently limited duration of a natural immunity " that is difficult - and if you look to Sweden, it is not foreseeable there either. Prof. Eberle would not say in general that the Swedish way per se was or is wrong. However, there is one major limitation: "You would have to reliably protect all people with a higher risk of disease - if they so wish," he explains. But that "obviously didn't work in Sweden ". There were particularly high fatalities in old people's and nursing homes.

Coronavirus: Sweden has 57 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants - Munich virologist criticizes the special way

To put it into perspective: Sweden has 57 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants - in Germany, however, there are only 11. In between, Sweden was even the country with the world's highest corona mortality. Most European countries wanted to prevent such scenarios - and imposed lockdowns. In a figurative sense, they have slowed down the development, but not stopped it. In all likelihood, this will only succeed with a vaccine. "Given the current situation, we only have confidence in an effective vaccine," confirms Prof. Eberle. "And until then, measures to largely prevent infections."

One of the most important measures is the mask, virologists agree on this - in contrast to the Swedish chief epidemiologist Tegnell, who questions the benefit. Prof. Eberle says: " A virus is nothing magical , it lives on the mucous membrane." And spreads via droplet infection . Pathogens that settle in the pharynx or the respiratory tract get into the air through tiny droplets of saliva when sneezing, coughing and speaking - and are then inhaled by another person or absorbed directly through the mucous membranes of the upper airways, for example through a kiss. Put simply, a mask holds back these droplets. Prof. Eberle therefore advises: "Wear a mask when you are less than 1.5 meters away" - indoors and outdoors. And: "There is also a lot of permanent ventilation in rooms and few people in the same room."

Is Germany heading for a second wave of the coronavirus? The numbers are increasing in many places - including Bavaria. I.

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2020-08-12

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