Braun and Göring-Eckardt squat like monastery students in Corona-Talk - then the chief world medical officer gets out of their skin

“Same place, same wave” is one of the sentences Maybrit Illner likes to proclaim in her weekly political talks on ZDF.

The "wave" has a double meaning this time.

Berlin - The presenter Maybrit Illner is devoting the fourth program in a row to the "Corona wave" that is currently breaking in and the consequences for the health system and the people in the country.

But politics continues to seem paralyzed and has concentrated on the bureaucracy in the last few weeks: a legal basis, a parliamentary resolution for handling the situation in the countries was implemented, for “legal reasons” the “end of the pandemic situation” was announced .

"Maybrit Illner" - these guests discussed with:

• Dr.

  Helge Braun (CDU)

  - Minister of the Chancellery

• Katrin Göring-Eckardt (Greens)

  - parliamentary group leader in the Bundestag

• Dr.

  Frank Ulrich Montgomery -

  Chairman of the World Medical Association

• Prof. Hendrik Streeck -

  Professor of Virology at the University of Bonn

• Dr.

  Christian Karagiannidis

  - Senior Physician at the Cologne-Merheim Clinic

• Giovanni di Lorenzo -

  Editor-in-Chief of

  Die Zeit

NRW Prime Minister Wüst recently commented excitedly: "The house is on fire, the fire brigade is throwing the hoses into the fire!" (“Road to nowhere”) and counters the head of the Chancellery, Helge Braun, lamenting his government: “In view of the situation, the citizens don't really understand that.”

Braun pushes the "buck" to the traffic light coalition round.

The CDU man doesn’t seem credible or energetic when he strikes up his currently popular mantra that it was a mistake to proclaim the “end of the epidemic situation” and the “wrong symbolism”.

But the fact that CDU health minister Jens Spahn was one of them, who put this idea on the table, was diligently ignored.

The head of the Greens parliamentary group agrees with the head of the CDU Chancellery on one point

Green parliamentary group leader Katrin Göring-Eckardt also plays the “blame” game and attests to the outgoing government's inaction because it had failed to use the “very, very many opportunities” “over the summer” in order to be well prepared in the Winter to go.

The representatives of the old and the new government agree - if not on the question of guilt - then on the assessment of the current situation.

“We have the most difficult situation ever in the pandemic,” says Braun.

“The situation is worse than it ever was,” confirms Göring-Eckardt.

What is irritating, however, is that the dramatic words are not in the least reflected in the body language of the two political leaders: The former anesthetist Braun and the studied theologian Göring-Eckardt sit like convent students with folded hands at the talk table and work - at least outwardly down - impressively proportionless.

World Medical Association boss Montgomery railed against political leaders: "Political cacophony"

Even as World Medical Association boss Frank Ulrich Montgomery pulls out pithy sentences that have not been heard in this directness in a talk group for a long time: "Political cacophony", calls Montgomery - connected from Rostock - from his monitor and represents the previous speakers for their guild in the pillory: "You have completely failed!" “You owe the citizens to act now!” In the end, it doesn't matter in which legal concept this happens, says the doctor and accuses the talk guests of “lack of concept”. Although it has been clear for months what needs to be done, according to the medical spokesman, they "talked, met, but made no decisions!"

Göring-Eckardt countered that one had to “in fact vaccinate a million people a day” in order to “not get into a permanent state that would drag on until January”.

And threatens: "It will get worse in the intensive care units than it already is." Immediately, Montgomery spoke up excitedly: One million, according to the association spokesman, was the "highest value" when "vaccination centers were set up all over Germany" that have since been dissolved.

Montgomery visibly excited: “Where's the logistics?

How do you want to distribute the vaccine? "

Göring-Eckardt announces: 2G for everyday events indoors, 3G at the workplace

There is a lack of logistics chains and infrastructure, according to the doctor's representative, and leaves no doubt that it is completely unrealistic to expect such high vaccination numbers. Göring-Eckardt is not very convincing when she suggests that in the future, gynecologists, among others, could also support general practitioners with vaccinations.

What happens if vaccinations are missed, announces Maybrit Illner with the title of her current program: "Politics back on alarm - is the lockdown for the unvaccinated?" the basis for all events and in commercial spaces - probably even 2G-Plus (with current test results).

In addition, 3G would be introduced at the workplace with the employee's obligation to provide information and an additional home office.

Hamburg senior doctor gives the all-clear: there is no triage

For the situation in the hospitals, Illner calls in the senior physician Christian Karagiannidis from Hamburg, who is supposed to report on the situation on the “health front”. First he gives the all-clear. He doesn't like the word “triage” at all, according to the pulmonologist, “that would be a declaration of bankruptcy for our health system” and that is a long way off. What is currently available is a prioritization of medical treatment at clinics, which will probably be more ready in the next few weeks. But one should also be prepared for “strategic patient transfer”. Most clinics had already drawn up plans for this in the summer.

Karagiannidis cannot confirm that there are only stubborn vaccination refusals in his corona intensive care unit: "I have not seen a single one of those who are with us," said the pulmonologist.

Many of his patients are young to middle-aged and simply did not believe they were so badly ill.

“We still have a certain chance of getting people to have their first vaccination,” the head doctor is convinced.

Conclusion of the “Maybrit Illner” talk

For four weeks, Illner has been trying to shake up with the increasing number of infections.

Will it succeed this time?

The transition period between the old and the new government has resulted in a certain pause in action.

In order to catch up, it takes politicians with conviction and drive to move the population to act.

Or as talk guest di Lorenzo put it: The will to defeat this "shitty pandemic".