Coronavirus: Virologist Drosten recommends short-term lockdown - "step on the brakes"

Charité virologist Christian Drosten has spoken out in his NDR podcast for temporary closings and contact blocks.

But he also sees potential in the tests.

Berlin - The virologist

has

spoken

out in favor of a temporary

.

"If the load becomes too great, then you have to take a break," said the

scientist in the episode of the "

" published by NDR-Info

on Tuesday

.

“This virus cannot be negotiated with.

This virus simply forces a lockdown with a certain number of cases. "

At the moment, the

still comparatively low.

“If we were to step on the brakes now, it would have a very lasting effect.

That would save us a lot of time. "

Coronavirus: Mini lockdowns are intended to prevent the collapse of health systems

Drosten

described the advantage of a temporary

, which, for example, could also make exceptions such as open schools: "Everyone knows from the start that it is limited in time." About three weeks -

from the

point of view,

this

requires a little more than a

.

"The

is then considerably reduced and is then also reduced in the long term under certain circumstances".

That is a win for everyone.

These planned

, also known as "circuit breakers", already exist in parts of Great Britain.

They are supposed to protect the system from overload.

A kind of schedule until spring with and without restrictions * is conceivable so that the

plan.

It's like a truck driving down a slope.

If you put the brakes on for five seconds early, that's enough for a long time.

Maybe you don't have to brake so long and so hard.

The

spoke out in favor of

for

in groups of people.

If an infected person had previously been in the office, for example, everyone should

do a

there, "and in fifteen minutes we will know whether we have a cluster here or not," he said.

"Then we isolate the whole group." This is faster than the previous

, the result of which you have to wait days for.

But it will certainly take some time to make these decisions for such an assignment in

, "and I have the feeling that we have less and less time".

Almost two thirds of citizens expect, according to a YouGov survey on behalf of the German Press Agency, that

shops, restaurants or schools will be closed again

due to the sharp rise in

numbers

.

On Wednesday,

consult

with the Prime Ministers of the federal states about measures to contain the coronavirus.

List of rubric lists: © picture alliance / Christophe Gateau / dpa