Top virologist Streeck criticizes Corona strategy - He calls these mistakes by name

Top virologist Professor Dr.

Hendrik Streeck rates the hard lockdown as appropriate, but at the same time criticizes errors and omissions in the corona strategy of the last few weeks and months.

• Top virologist Professor Dr.

  Hendrik Streeck thinks the hard lockdown is right

• However, he criticizes errors in the corona strategy

• The scientist fears a high number of unreported cases of infected people

His word carries weight with leading politicians, he is a regular guest on TV talk shows: Professor Dr.

Hendrik Streeck (43) is one of Germany's best-known virologists.

In an interview with our editorial team, he analyzes what lessons we should draw from the Corona crisis.

The number of new infections is just exploding - despite the weeks-long partial lockdown.

How do you explain that?

"Measures have not started where most of the transmissions take place."

Professor Dr.

Hendrik Streeck:

 We actually have far too many new infections.

Actually, according to the calculations used, the lockdown measures should slow down the increase more.

The fact that this is not the case indicates, on the one hand, a high number of unreported cases of infected people, and on the other hand, that the previous measures have not necessarily started where most of the transmissions take place.

Closing restaurants could not slow down the incidence of infection

Where do most people get infected?

Streeck:

 We don't really know, we're too much in the dark.

However, the development also shows that the closure of restaurants and pubs has at best managed to slow the increase in new infections.

However, it did not succeed in stopping the infection process.

What must happen now so that the number of infections and victims fall again?

"Finally better protect home residents"

Streeck:

 My most important recommendation is: We must finally better protect the risk groups.

This applies in particular to retirement and nursing homes.

Here live the people who are currently the main focus.

They currently have more than half of all Covid 19 deaths in Germany.

But politicians claim that the protection of old people's homes is on their radar.

Streeck:

 The previous level of protection is not enough.

The figures from the Robert Koch Institute show that we are slowing down the infection rate among the younger ones, but not among the elderly.

How can you protect seniors better?

Streeck: 

We are not allowed to isolate them, but we have to protect them better by frequent testing by nurses and visitors as well as by consistently wearing FFP2 protective masks.

Likewise, one could set up locks in front of the old people's homes and, with the help of rapid tests, ensure that practically no one with the virus can enter the building.

Now there seems to be no alternative to the hard lockdown.

Do the skyrocketing numbers of infections confirm that a pandemic can only be defeated with strict prohibitions?

"Threats and bans are not enough"

Streeck:

 Threats and bans detached from a long-term strategy are not enough.

They have a short half-life.

A pandemic is about taking everyone with you; in the end, each of us is a part of the pandemic.

We do not know the reasons for the high number of infections.

But one possible explanation is that we may still not have managed to convey the gravity of the situation to all citizens.

You have to constantly explain, explain and justify why it is so important to follow the recommendations.