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Virologist Christian Drosten, member of the German government's Corona Expert Council
Photo: Michael Kappeler / dpa
Because of the rapidly spreading omicron variant of the coronavirus, the Corona Expert Council recommends the Federal Government to introduce contact restrictions quickly.
From the anticipated scenario "there will be a need for action in the coming days," it said in a resolution published by the committee on Sunday.
The Expert Council emphasized that effective nationwide coordinated countermeasures to control the infection process had to be prepared.
In its unanimous decision, the 19-member panel of experts did not provide any information on the type and scope of the necessary contact restrictions.
"New dimension" in the pandemic
As a justification for its recommendation, the council referred to the omicron virus variant, which is considered particularly infectious and which brings a “new dimension” to the pandemic: “The doubling time of the omicron incidence assumed in Germany is currently in the range of around two to four days. «
Omikron is characterized by a greatly increased transferability and undermining existing immune protection.
The variant infects significantly more people in a very short time and also includes those who have recovered and those who have been vaccinated more in the infection process: "This can lead to an explosive spread."
Due to the simultaneous, extreme number of patients, a considerable overload of the hospitals is to be expected - "even in the unlikely case of a significantly weakened disease severity compared to the delta variant".
Even if all hospitals were to concentrate exclusively on the care of emergencies and urgent interventions, "it will no longer be possible to provide adequate quality care for all sick people," warned the experts.
The Corona Expert Council to advise the Federal Government includes the virologist Christian Drosten, the virologist Melanie Brinkmann and the chairwoman of the German Ethics Council, Alena Buyx - as well as Thomas Mertens, the chairman of the Standing Vaccination Commission, and Lothar Wieler, President of Robert Koch Institute.
sol / dpa / AFP
