Again, Germany's top virologists disagree.
Hendrik Streeck criticized Merkel's federal government.
For this he received a headwind from Christian Drosten.
The federal government has reacted to the increasing number of infections with a second, less harsh lockdown.
The Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians considers this to be an error in a letter.
The virologists around
Christian Drosten
criticize this sharply and distance themselves from this attitude.
Here you will find the Corona news from Germany and maps for Bavaria and Germany that show the current infection process.
Heidelberg / Berlin - On Monday (November 2nd) the government approved “Lockdown Light” came into effect.
Both the federal government and the federal states agree that this is the right approach
to slow down
the current
Corona
* infection
.
Policy is based on scientific knowledge from researchers and doctors.
But there is also headwind.
Corona Germany: Virologists disagree about Merkel's lockdown strategy
The
National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV)
published a letter in which it sharply criticized the Federal Government's approach and called for the strategy to be adjusted.
The KBV relies on a longer-term approach instead of
lockdowns
.
"The decline in the number of cases is politically an urgent task, but not at any price," says the position paper.
"This virus will be with us for the next few years,"
the authors state.
Therefore, an important means of containing the acceptance of the population is.
“As soon as regulations appear to be contradictory, illogical and therefore incomprehensible for the individual or are overridden by the courts, a problem of
acceptance and credibility
arises
.
We could lose those who we urgently need as allies in the fight against the virus, ”says the KBV, summarizing the risk that lockdowns cause.
Instead, the KBV proposes a strategy based on the following points:
Moving away from containment through
contact
tracing alone
.
Introduction of a nationwide uniform
traffic light system
*
by means of which the current situation can be seen at a glance at both federal and district level.
Focussing resources on the specific protection of
population groups
that are at high risk of developing severe disease.
Put bidding culture
first in risk communication.
The KBV wants to relieve the health authorities by the citizens themselves informing their contacts as soon as they have tested positive.
The basis of this idea is: personal responsibility instead of paternalism.
The virologists
Hendrik Streeck
and
Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit
have signed the KBV's letter, and numerous medical associations support the position.
We have to discuss strategies.
https://t.co/9l9fAYWXBs
- Hendrik Streeck (@hendrikstreeck) November 5, 2020
Germany: virologist dispute in corona pandemic: Drosten vs.
Stretch
But some scientists * see it completely differently.
The Society for Virology (GfV) also published a letter in response to the position paper.
Christian Drosten
and Melanie Brinkmann
are among the signatories
.
The undersigned consider the measures currently ordered by the politicians around Chancellor Angela Merkel to be “necessary and necessary”.
"The undersigned are aware that these bring considerable restrictions and negative economic consequences and can therefore only be used temporarily," it continues.
Nevertheless, Germany is characterized by an "exponential increase in the number of SARS-CoV-2 * new infections".
The GfV also emphasized that risk groups require special protection.
"In our opinion, better protection of these people will
only be possible by reducing infections in the general population
", explain the signatories and thus contradict the strategy demanded by the KBV to protect risk groups and avoid lockdowns.
Too much time was wasted in the summer discussing the dangers of the #Coronavirus, according to the virologist #Brinkmann.
"I don't tell the auto mechanic where the engine is on the car either."
pic.twitter.com/SegVIGQWnE
- ZDF today (@ZDFheute) November 3, 2020
Regarding the proposal to stop following up contacts, the GfV writes:
“The goal of following up contacts quickly must not be abandoned at this point in time.”
In addition, the signatories distance themselves decisively from the entire position paper of the KBV: “This creates the impression that it is the collective opinion of science and the medical profession.
This
certainly does not
apply to the majority of virologists from both a scientific and a medical point of view
. "
The dispute among the researchers shows that the
corona pandemic is
basically still uncharted territory despite the ever increasing knowledge gained and further research is required.
In order to move forward, scientific discussion - and also disagreements - is elementary.
However, there is one thing that the scientists definitely agree on: the pandemic will not be overcome without a vaccine *.
(lb) * Merkur.de is part of the Ippen-Digital network
List of rubric lists: © Montage: Tobias Schwarz / AFP, Federico Gambarini / dpa