Lauterbach warns of "monster wave" - ​​lockdown "can only be prevented by two measures"

Experts argue about which measures can be used to break the fourth corona wave.

However, everyone does not see a lockdown as sensible.

Berlin - Germany is in the middle of the fourth corona wave.

The seven-day incidence rises to a new high, the intensive care units are filling up with Covid19 patients.

Politics and science are discussing how to counter this dramatic situation: 2G, 1G or lockdown for the unvaccinated?

As usual, the experts disagree.

However, they all agree that the measures proposed by Jens Spahn and the Conference of Health Ministers (November 5) are insufficient.

Lauterbach warns of a "monster wave" - ​​only two measures can be taken to prevent lockdown

Karl Lauterbach primarily relies on 2G, i.e. only those who have been vaccinated and those who have recovered from Corona are allowed to participate in large parts of public life.

"It is distracted from how useful 2G is by suddenly speaking of 1G," said the SPD health expert in an interview with the television station

.

It is true that people who have been vaccinated can also become infected with Corona and infect others with it, but the risk of this is very unlikely.

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Health expert Karl Lauterbach sees a wave of corona monsters approaching Germany

© Kay Nietfeld / dpa / picture alliance

But he also sees more and more "cases with a severe course, unfortunately also after the vaccination".

And he further warned on Monday: “We are facing a monster wave if the 2G rule does not come quickly across Germany, with controls.

Party politics or playing off the vaccinated against the unvaccinated does not help.

2G is not against unvaccinated people, but for everyone, ”said the SPD man.

Lauterbach previously told

about a lockdown

that this can only be prevented by two measures: the consistent implementation of 2G in all areas that are not part of daily needs such as grocery stores or drugstores, and the control of this measure.

"The best regulation is of no use if there are no controls," says Lauterbach.

Lauterbach also advises against larger Christmas and Carnival celebrations.

The likely last big wave of the pandemic could still cost a great many human lives.

"It is therefore important that people are more careful," he told the

.

"This includes avoiding company Christmas parties indoors as much as possible, celebrating in smaller groups at Christmas and not going to the carnival."

Measures against the fourth corona wave: Virologist only sees 1G as useful

Two virologists contradict this.

Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit from the University of Hamburg warned on Saturday on

not to overestimate the effect of the 2G rule.

2G only gives a "sham security", since vaccinated people could become infected and transmit the virus, even if the probability is lower.

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Virologists are calling for those who have been vaccinated and those who have recovered to do corona tests

© Julian Stratenschulte / dpa / picture alliance

But in contrast to Lauterbach, Schmidt-Chanasit draws a different conclusion from this.

In his opinion, only 1G helps for real security, i.e. testing all of them, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated, unvaccinated or recovered.

This should especially apply to problematic areas where vulnerable people are at risk.

Measures against the fourth corona wave: Streeck sees the risk of uncontrolled outbreaks

Hendrik Streeck is also skeptical about the 2G rule, but for a different reason.

"The vaccinated have the feeling that they are no longer part of the pandemic and are behaving accordingly risky," Streeck told the

(

)

on Saturday

.

The second problem is that the unvaccinated are excluded and even less likely to be tested.

That could lead to uncontrolled outbreaks if, for example, they organized private parties at home.

Streeck therefore called for the rapid reintroduction of free corona tests.

Measures against the fourth corona wave: medical officers for a significant expansion of tests for vaccinated people

Support for the two virologists comes from the medical officers.

They urge a significant expansion of rapid tests for vaccinated people.

"The higher the incidences are now, the more necessary it is that vaccinated people are tested in addition to the unvaccinated", said the chairwoman of the Federal Association of Doctors of the Public Health Service, Ute Teichert, the

newspapers (Saturday).

A test is not a punishment for vaccinated people, but an additional means to prevent new infections.

She pointed out that vaccinating and testing are completely different things.

"Those who are vaccinated can still carry the virus and pass it on, even if they don't get sick themselves."

Fourth corona wave in Germany: Saxony introduces 2G

In Germany, since Monday (November 8th), Saxony has been the first federal state to implement the 2G rule in parts of public life.

This means that only those who have recovered or have been vaccinated have access to indoor restaurants, discos or leisure and cultural facilities.

Large events such as football in stadiums are also affected, but not retail or church services.

In Bavaria, the clinic traffic light turned red on the afternoon of the same day.

This means that stricter rules come into force, for example the 3G rule is now mandatory at many workplaces.

List of rubric lists: © Kay Nietfeld