Grafing - double vaccinated and still ill: Thomas Huber, CSU member of the state parliament from Grafing, went through that.
In an interview, he explains why he urgently advises vaccination and what role his chronic lung disease plays.
Mr. Huber, how are you?
Well again now.
After two weeks, my isolation is over.
In the meantime, I've been lying flat for a week with strong flu symptoms: cough, fever, weakness.
For a long time I haven't tasted anything, now I can distinguish sweet from sour again.
Fortunately, I'm not a sommelier, otherwise I would still be unable to work.
How did you find out about the vaccination breakthrough?
I have been vaccinated twice with Biontech.
But when I suddenly felt tired and limp, I did a quick test every day so as not to put anyone in danger.
All negative.
But the PCR test a few days later, when the symptoms got worse and worse, was positive.
Were you scared?
Basically, I am a positive thinking person.
But in the recent past I have had a number of surgeries.
And I've had COPD since a young age, a permanent, airway-constricting lung disease that I have to treat with medication.
I am certainly considered a risk patient.
You wonder how things would have ended without the vaccination.
Did you talk to doctors about it?
Of course, I called my family doctor right away.
We still don't know enough about this virus, especially the more aggressive Delta variant.
It is quite possible that the disease would have been much more severe for me without the vaccination because the virus would have penetrated deeper into the lungs.
These are the cases that can even lead to ventilation in the intensive care unit - in my case probably risky.
Has the breakthrough damaged your confidence in the vaccination?
No.
As is well known, vaccination does not provide 100 percent protection.
You can see from my example: It can affect anyone.
But with a vaccination it is most likely not life-threatening.
My wife was in direct contact with me before we isolated from each other to be on the safe side.
She didn't get infected thanks to the vaccination.
In addition, we protect those who cannot do it themselves - like our children or people who can become terminally ill despite being vaccinated.
Latest example: Ex-Secretary of State Colin Powell died of Corona.
He was vaccinated, but 84 and suffered from cancer and Parkinson's.
Do you know how you got infected?
No.
I've been on the road a lot for work, luckily that works again.
Travel, conferences and public transport - the route can no longer be reconstructed.
Not only you, but also numerous other members of the state parliament have become infected.
What is going on there?
I haven't left the house for two weeks, I've only worked digitally, as far as my health was possible.
I learn a lot from the newspaper.
According to information from our newspaper, one fifth of the AfD parliamentary group is infected.
We know that the AfD group has the largest share of those who have not been vaccinated.
Maybe one is related to the other.
So it's best to get vaccinated and not always talk about the so-called pandemic.
The virus can not only be dangerous to health, but also deadly, we have known that for long enough.
As politicians, we should all lead by example.
Minister of Economic Affairs Hubert Aiwanger is in voluntary self-isolation.
That is the first step on the way to common sense.
Perhaps he will also dare to take the second: Perhaps he will comply with the demands of his own party friends, the Free Voters, and finally get vaccinated.
The progress of the vaccination campaign is critical to health, to human survival - and to the economy.
Are you worried about the easing?
I have a lot of respect, if not a little afraid, that we will become too carefree.
As important and necessary as the relaxation is, we should be careful when dealing with the coronavirus.
Mask and distance inside, we should continue to take that seriously.
Interview: Josef Ametsbichler
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