Corona in Germany: "We are flying blind" - Christian Drosten on Omikron

Created: 2022-01-14Updated: 2022-01-14, 6:18 p.m

By: Mark Stoffers

At the Corona press conference with Health Minister Lauterbach and RKI boss Wieler, Christian Drosten is available to answer questions.

The virologist continues to warn of omicron.

Berlin – The Corona press conference, especially with regard to the rapid spread of the Corona variant Omikron, not only called Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) into action.

The head of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Lothar Wieler, and the virologist Christian Drosten also provided information about the current corona situation in Germany.

The head of the institute of virology at the Berlin Charité pointed out – as did Lauterbach and Wieler – the seriousness of the corona situation in Germany.

Because of the omicron wave, there were still enormous challenges for politicians, it said.

Corona incidence in Germany: RKI reports maximum value - Drosten shocked with "We are flying blind" statement to Omikron

The corona incidence in Germany is currently chasing one record after the other. On Friday, January 14, 2022, the RKI reported 92,223 new corona cases* throughout Germany and 286 deaths that died from or in connection with Covid-19. This circumstance results in a German corona incidence of 470.6. The federal state of Bremen remains the leader in terms of the seven-day incidence with an incidence of 1427.2, while Lower Saxony is the district with the lowest corona incidence in Germany with a value of 125.5.

Especially with these values, which are still low compared to Italy*, neither the virologist Christian Drosten, nor RKI boss Wieler or Health Minister Karl Lauterbach feel like laughing.

Rather, the Corona triumvirate continues to warn and warn about the serious Corona numbers.

"We are flying blind," explained Drosten at the Corona press conference about Omikron.

Virologist Drosten on Omikron in Germany: "Don't know if we can let the virus run yet"

In connection with the highly infectious corona variant, the virologist Drosten further explained: “At the moment we don’t know whether we can let the virus run in Germany,” said the corona expert.

“The bad news is: we have too many unvaccinated people over 60, the vaccination gap is too big.

This is not good."

"We know that increasingly older people will be affected," warned RKI boss Wieler.

The number of deaths is currently falling, “but that will change again” – as will the hospitalization rate.

Christian Drosten (lr), Director of the Institute for Virology at the Charité Berlin, Lothar Wieler, President of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), and Karl Lauterbach (SPD), Federal Minister of Health, comment on the current corona situation at the federal press conference .

© Kay Nietfeld |

dpa

At the moment it is simply not possible to foresee whether the virus - as is the case with many other viruses - could affect the population without measures.

That's why it's still so important to keep vaccinating and boosting.

Because according to Christian Drosten, it is good that Omicron is milder, but of course the number of cases is still too high.

At the same time, the corona expert denounced the “double message” that is currently making the rounds in Germany: “A lot is currently being misunderstood,” said the head of virology at the Berlin Charité.

An assessment that the RKI boss also underlined beforehand.

RKI boss shares Christian Drosten's assessment of the corona variant - "Omicron dominates in Germany"

"The vaccinations do not necessarily prevent infection, that's true," admitted RKI boss Lothar Wieler at the press conference, but previously shared Christian Drosten's assessment of Omikron.

“But they protect against a difficult course.

Vaccinations therefore help not to overload the health system and all other important areas," said Wieler and had previously made it clear that the corona variant in Germany would cause the corona numbers to continue to rise.

"Omicron dominates in Germany, the numbers will continue to rise," the RKI boss did not give in to any corona illusions.

Around one percent of the population is currently infected with Corona.

Health Minister Karl Lauterbach is critical of the corona situation: "We will find ourselves in difficult waters"

In addition to Christian Drosten and Lothar Wieler, the Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach continues to be critical of the corona situation in the country.

Therefore, the SPD politician does not speak of a nationwide relaxation.

"The current studies on Omicron could not be applied one-to-one to Germany," warns the SPD politician Lauterbach, who also has other construction sites on the agenda.

“These messages are not transferrable.

I warn against accepting an infection,” Lauterbach continued.

"We would have too many victims." The main reason is that in Germany too many older people are still unvaccinated and the studies were mainly carried out on younger patients.

Lauterbach and the federal government want to transform the "Omicron Wall" into an "Omicron Hill".

Again Lauterbach explains that the federal government wants to try to turn the "Omicron Wall" into an "Omicron Hill". So far, however, there is no reason to give the all-clear. According to Lauterbach, the doubling time is currently just under a week. "The rules work". Drosten also takes the same line with regard to the corona measures.

The virologist makes it clear that the doubling time in Germany is significantly slower than in other countries.

"However, the R-value has been above 1 again for a long time," Drosten continued.

"You have to push that." The start of school after the holidays now plays a decisive role as a sticking point.

However, new symptoms on the lips, nails and skin for prevention can always be identified with Omikron.

Just recently, a new omicron symptom* made the rounds again in medical circles.

Despite the Omicron wave, Lauterbach does not believe in school closures - children give up a lot to protect the unvaccinated

The Minister of Health takes a clear position on the questions of whether Lauterbach is in favor of compulsory vaccination and what is being done to protect schools.

Compulsory vaccination is important in order to finally vaccinate all groups and does not just mean the first or second vaccination, but also a booster vaccination against Corona.

Then life would also be easier for everyone who is currently doing without a lot because there are still so many unvaccinated people.

"Our children are currently giving up a lot to protect the unvaccinated," said the SPD politician.

Lothar Wieler also made the same statement.

"There is a group of people who can no longer be reached with the conventional campaign," said the RKI boss.

"We simply save more lives by making vaccination compulsory."

Lauterbach sweeps the loosening of corona off the table due to the “severe omicron wave – Drosten expects further vaccination against corona variants

Even if school closures are not currently on the Minister of Health's agenda, Lauterbach sees no reason for false optimism or even relaxation of the corona virus.

“One can rule out easing at this point in time,” the Minister of Health clarified.

"We are in the middle of a severe omicron wave." It is dangerous for many people.

"We have no reason to relax," Lauterbach clarified.

Christian Drosten sees no reason for this either.

Instead, the virologist assumes that another vaccination with an adapted vaccine for the omicron variant is due in summer or autumn.

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