The Bonn virologist Hendrik Streeck was a guest on the ZDF program "Markus Lanz" on Thursday evening.
Among other things, he spoke about the corona measures of politics.
Professor
Hendrik Streeck
was a guest on the
ZDF program “Markus Lanz” *
on Thursday
.
The virologist emphasized: "The
coronavirus *
will probably be with us throughout our lives. "
The expert called for further
relaxation
and
pragmatic solutions
in
politics
.
Hamburg - On Thursday evening, October 1st, the virologist
Hendrick Streeck
from
Bonn was a
guest on the
ZDF program "Markus Lanz"
.
The topic of the evening was, among other things, the
corona measures
of politics.
Moderator
Markus Lanz
questioned this critically and encouraged discussion with the other guests.
These were the SPD politician and Prime Minister of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Manuela Schwesig
, the journalist
Michel Friedman
, and social psychologist
Harald Welzer
.
"Markus Lanz" (ZDF): According to Streeck, corona infection numbers are only partially meaningful
Professor
Hendrik Streeck
, who has been director of the
Institute for Virology
and HIV Research at the
University of Bonn
since 2019
, is known for being
more relaxed about
the
corona situation
in
Germany
than many of his colleagues.
At the beginning of the broadcast, he was
approached
by
Lanz *
about the
Corona traffic light *
, the
last one
in
Berlin
had turned red.
With a view to the currently high number of
infections
in the capital, he posed
clear: "I can well imagine that many cities will have 35 per 100,000 inhabitants very soon, so that the
7-day incidence
values
* will
rise." fr.de * also reports on the program.
However, this is due to the nature of the
virus
and not to the party people in
Berlin-Mitte
.
Because only a small percentage
need
inpatient
medical care
, the number of
infections
is only partially meaningful.
According to
Streeck
, only
five percent of
all infected people
would have
to go to
hospital
.
At 11:15 p.m. Markus #lanz in @zdf
With the following guests: @ManuelaSchwesig, @hendrikstreeck, Prof. Harald Welzer and Prof. Michel Friedmann.
pic.twitter.com/Kr8CYu2Akc
- Markus Lanz (@Markus__Lanz) October 1, 2020
Streeck: Currently normal mortality rate in Germany
Moderator
Lanz
took up this number and presented it as minimal. He asked again: “Of 100 percent infected, only five percent need serious medical care at some point?”
Lanz
said he was surprised at the “threatening sound” of the public debate.
“The
second wave *
, there are already people talking about the third wave.
The Chancellor calls the number 19,200 possible daily infections, if things continue like this, ”the moderator summed up the tenor of the past weeks.
The guest,
Michel Friedman
, then calculated for him that these figures mean half a million seriously ill people out of ten million people.
“In that way, none of this is a mirage,”
Friedman
clarified.
The situation in
other European countries
shows that this is not a
theoretical scenario
.
Streeck
then stated that
Germany
currently has a
normal mortality rate
.
"During the heat wave of 2018 you saw an excess mortality much more clearly, with the flu wave of 2017 you clearly saw an excess mortality," reported the virologist.
You don't see that at the moment.
In a recent study,
researchers from
Essen
found, after taking demographic factors into account, even
fewer deaths
than statistically expected.
Virologist Streeck: "Even if we have a vaccine, the coronavirus will still be with us"
The
Bonn virologist
emphasized that he wanted the
corona virus *
don't downplay it, but ask yourself the question of your destination and a compass.
Streeck raised
the question: "Where do we actually want to go?" The
expert
also
dampened the
hope for a
vaccine *
that would fundamentally change the situation
.
"Even if we have a
vaccine
, the virus will still be with us," said
Streeck
.
He predicted: "The
coronavirus
will probably be with us all our lives."
The
risk of
an exponential increase in
infections
is also a
misunderstanding
for him
.
People did not mingle indiscriminately in society.
After all, if a group of friends were infected, not everyone would become infected.
In addition,
circles of friends are
finally finite at some point, and the
infection
does not go outside.
As a result, there is a
natural flattening
in growth, explained the virologist.
Streeck
emphasized: “Exponential is incredibly scary when you hear that.”
Streeck
also commented on the
requirement
to
wear a mask
in the fresh air, for example at
Marienplatz
in
Munich
.
"To wear a mask outside, I do not think it makes sense at all virologically," explained the virologist.
"Markus Lanz" (ZDF): Experts call for pragmatic solutions and personal responsibility
The Bonn virologist also spoke out in favor of
relaxation
, provided that there are good
hygiene
concepts.
You would need this at
concerts
,
football
and in the
travel industry
to see if it could work, said
Streeck
.
You go through a
learning process
.
It is important and right that you make mistakes, explained the expert.
The
policy
should enable these errors and
pragmatic solutions
be found.
At the end of the program *, the guests agreed that it was about
people's personal responsibility
, not bans.
The fight against
Covid-19
is a
marathon
, not a sprint.
Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) will speak on October 12th from 5 p.m. at the
Munich Economic Debate
in Munich about the challenges of the Corona crisis for German health policy and where the system still needs to improve.
(ph) * Merkur.de and fr.de are part of the Ippen-Digital editors network
List of rubric lists: © Screenshot / ZDF / Markus Lanz