Medical spokesman Georg Miedl warns of recklessness in the coming autumn pandemic.
A request from the health insurance chief annoys him - including dealing with unvaccinated people.
Freising
- After only two weeks of school and regular operation in daycare centers, the Freising health department had to initiate a striking number of quarantine measures.
So what can we expect in autumn, which has only just begun?
In the FT interview, district doctor spokesman Georg Miedl explains why incidence is still an important benchmark, why he is annoyed about the proposal of a Freedom Day, and why he can even understand the prominent vaccine skeptic Hubert Aiwanger.
Mr. Miedl, the incidence no longer determines lockdowns. Why is it still an important factor from a medical point of view?
The incidence continues to say how many people fall ill per 100,000.
It therefore remains an important measuring instrument to show the number of diseases in a population - be it at the district level, in Bavaria, Germany or Europe - and to clarify how active an infectious disease is.
From a medical point of view, this becomes particularly exciting when the incidence between vaccinated and non-vaccinated people is shown separately.
How are the comparative values currently?
The incidence of vaccinated people in Bavaria is currently 16.9, while that of unvaccinated people is 200.7 - about twelve times as high.
Are there any more important indicators from a virological point of view?
I would rather speak of other indicators - especially from an epidemiological point of view.
These are the numbers of hospitalizations, i.e. hospital admissions, intensive care treatments, the ventilation required here and the resulting mortality: the proportion of deceased patients.
When viewed as a whole, this is the best way to measure the risk of illness for the population.
"The most important thing for children is to keep schools and daycare centers open"
Children up to the age of twelve are the largest group of people who have not been vaccinated. How can you best protect them at the moment - especially in school and daycare?
In my opinion, the current measures are sufficient here: regular testing, mask, hand washing, ventilation or room fan and keep your distance as far as possible.
However, according to the RKI, the incidence among 5- to 14-year-olds is 142.5 - this is by far the highest value in comparison with other age groups.
Yes, but it is important to note here that the value has already fallen significantly compared to the previous week.
In other words, we're more likely to have infections here on vacation than at school.
Avoiding social isolation is at least as important as these things.
Children need children, so far they have not been accelerators of Covid infection.
So: The most important thing for children is to keep schools and daycare centers open and to adhere to measures.
Approval of vaccines is also being prepared for this age group.
Are there children from the Freising district who had to be taken to clinics in Munich or Landshut because of a severe course of Covid disease?
I am currently not aware of any cases.
From my point of view, there are actually few real vaccine opponents.
There are many more who are still insecure who still hesitate in worry.
Georg Miedl, spokesman for the Freising district
Are you in favor of vaccinations for children over the age of twelve?
Since the recommendation of the STIKO: yes. The permanent vaccination commission writes: “The vaccination should also prevent Covid-19 diseases and hospitalizations in children and adolescents. Another goal is to mitigate the indirect consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infections, such as restrictions on the social and cultural participation of children and adolescents. ”Another lockdown would cause significantly greater damage to the young people. Thus, after careful consideration, vaccination is also of individual benefit to adolescents, as it enables social access and keeps it open.
Opponents of the vaccination, above all the Deputy Prime Minister Hubert Aiwanger, claim that tests are safer than vaccinations because everyone who is vaccinated can still carry and pass on a certain viral load. What do you reply to that?
From my point of view, there are actually few real vaccine opponents.
There are many more who are still insecure who still hesitate in worry.
Mr. Aiwanger is a prominent example of how NOT to convince a person to be vaccinated.
Regardless of whether you are politically in line with him or not: He was beaten so much from all sides that he couldn't really help but stick to the no.
My experience is that I can convince patients of the vaccination in calm discussions with factual arguments - a few every day.
Is there also an argument that testing cannot be compared with vaccination?
That's the way it is.
A test is no safer than vaccination - due to the length of time it takes in PCR or its error rate in rapid tests.
Statistically, out of ten tests in asymptomatic people, four are wrong.
Much more important, however: a test does not solve the infection problem.
We'd have to test and isolate for the next few years.
For me this is definitely the worse alternative.
"It would be a yellow-red for the unvaccinated, and that makes me sad"
Vaccine skeptics also argue that the likelihood of infecting someone else is just as high for a vaccinated person as for an unvaccinated person. Is that correct?
No.
When infected with the Delta variant, both groups initially have the same viral load;
In the vaccinated person, however, this drops below the critical CT value around five days earlier.
This means that it is able to pass on viruses for a much shorter time.
And those who have been vaccinated are much less likely to be infected.
Do you think the hospital lights will turn yellow or red in autumn?
I do not hope so.
It would be a yellow-red for the unvaccinated, and that makes me sad.
We have achieved an incredible amount in the past year and a half in combating the pandemic in the district and are still doing so: We still hold infection clinics, and we are still trying to convince our fellow human beings of this way out and protect them with our vaccination status.
But we are still too few to protect those who have not been vaccinated.
"Man at the top of the board doctors plays 'make a wish'"
What do you say then to Andreas Gassen, head of health insurance, who wants a Freedom Day in autumn, i.e. the lifting of almost all corona restrictions?
That annoys me, because it doesn't help us at all that the man at the top of the statutory health insurance physicians is playing such a "make a wish".
It is completely incomprehensible to me to want to proclaim Freedom Day now.
Because the vaccination rate is simply too low for that.
So it remains gloomy?
No.
We're not through yet, but we're on the right track.
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