Despite the pleasant Omikron data, Drosten is worried about one thing: "Unfortunately, it is a German special problem"

Created: 01/01/2022, 06:55 AM

From: Marc Dimitriu

Drosten sees a “German special problem”, but new Omikron data make him optimistic.

© Jürgen Heinrich via www.imago-images.de

Although there are encouraging new data on the Omikron, one thing worries Virologist Drosten.

The problem is a specifically German one.

Mainz / Cologne - One last severe corona wave with Omikron and then everything will be better?

Prominent virologists see cause for cautious optimism in the further development of the pandemic in Germany.

The Berlin virologist Christian Drosten refers to data from South Africa, where the particularly contagious virus variant Omikron initially spread: “In a way, that can calm us down.

South Africa is certainly a glimpse into a future, into an endemic situation that is just emerging there, ”said Drosten on the evening of December 30th in the ZDF“ heute journal ”.

The incidence there has fallen significantly again in the last few days to 121.9.

In mid-December it was still over 270.

"Unfortunately, this is a German special problem": Drosten sees Germany in danger because of many unvaccinated people

"Unfortunately, we are still a long way from that," he explains, referring to Germany. The transition from a pandemic to an endemic situation means that the virus will continue to spread, but is less dangerous - comparable to the typical cold viruses, which also include other coronaviruses. Drosten is worried about the relatively large group of citizens who have neither been vaccinated nor recovered: "Unfortunately, this is a German special problem." We do not know what that means for us, explained the virologist. “Even if the severity of the disease should become bearable in people who have been vaccinated, we still have this large group in the population that we have to worry about. And which will certainly have a bit of a say in political action. "

Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) also cautiously commented on the data from South Africa on Twitter during the night: “Very interesting study on Omicron in SA in @TheLancet.

Shows that while Omicron spread 4 times as fast as Delta, it caused significantly less severe cases.

Nevertheless, the data do not allow any clear conclusions to be drawn about older people who have not been vaccinated. "

Streeck: Virologist believes that measures are sufficient for the time being - "We have to wait and see"

The Bonn virologist Hendrik Streeck, on the other hand, said on the program “RTL Direkt”: “Germany is lucky that the other countries are ahead of us. We can see what is happening there and adjust to it. ”In addition, the politicians in this country would have taken“ quite strong measures ”. “That gives hope that we will get a milder wave.” Streeck and Drosten are on the federal government's new expert council. Most experts as well as Health Minister Lauterbach expect that a severe Omikron wave in Germany is still to come.

Streeck does not currently consider even tougher corona rules to be necessary: ​​"We must first wait until we have better data in order to see how the number of cases develops." With milder weather in spring, the number of infections will decrease again, therefore Germany will surely have "a relaxed summer".

The situation in Great Britain is also encouraging for Drosten - Karagiannidis sees great stress on hospitals

The development in Great Britain with regard to Omikron is also encouraging, said Christian Drosten, "because the number of serious illnesses seems to be lower".

However, he believes that politics in Germany will continue to be challenged, “maybe until Easter”.

Thereafter, an "update" of the vaccines could create more security against Omikron.

Christian Karagiannidis, head of the intensive care register of the German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (Divi), is somewhat more pessimistic than Drosten and Streeck.

It is possible that the Omikron variant causes milder disease processes, he told the

on December 31.

"The sheer number of new infections that we are currently heading for could still pose major challenges for intensive care capacities, but even more for hospitalization overall." Therefore, the federal and state governments should quickly agree on a warning system based on the factors of intensive care bed occupancy, hospitalization rate and incidence.

(md with dpa)