Drosten sees the way out of the corona pandemic: "It's vaccination versus virus"

Created: 2022-01-16Updated: 2022-01-16, 12:11 p.m

By: Sandra Kathe

Despite the increasing number of omicron infections, Christian Drosten is currently optimistic about the further course of the pandemic.

© Kay Nietfeld/dpa

The virologist Christian Drosten evaluates the omicron variant of the corona virus as an advantage for achieving herd immunity.

You have to build on that now.

Berlin – The chief virologist at the Berlin Charité, Christian Drosten*, is optimistic that the corona virus* will leave the status of a pandemic and an endemic situation will begin in which society with the corona virus can live again without major restrictions as it did before the pandemic : "Yes absolutely. I'm completely sure of that," Drosten told the Tagesspiegel on Sunday in an interview.

Germany is now “in the process” of being able to declare the pandemic over and declare the endemic phase: the prerequisite for this, however, is still broad vaccination protection.

Because sooner or later, according to Drosten, all people would have to be infected with the virus * in order to achieve long-term protection for society.

The weakened infection on the basis of vaccination, "it's something like a moving train that you jump on".

This symbolic leap would have to happen at some point, "otherwise you won't get any further."

Virologist Drosten: Herd immunity with protection for the unvaccinated is not possible

Drosten sees the weakened omicron variant* as an opportunity: “assuming broad immunity”. Because the high proportion of older people in the population ensures that many people continue to die from natural infections. Germany has already “made quite a bit of this path through vaccinations”, but now it has to “come to an end”, said Drosten. It is not possible to achieve “herd immunity” that would also protect unvaccinated people*: “There is scientific evidence for this,” Drosten told the “Tagesspiegel”.

However, Drosten finds the strategy of “maintaining the immune protection of the entire population every few months via a booster vaccination” unsuitable.

The virus has to do that.

"It's vaccination versus virus, not vaccination versus no vaccination." And as a virologist, he could say "that vaccination is simply better off".

Drosten on the corona measures of the future: masks and a live vaccine

His prediction for the further course of the virus based on the current status is that in certain situations masks will still have to be worn for some time - "because the protection against transmission will decrease again a little and the vulnerable in the population must be protected".

High incidences could also occur next winter.

The danger posed by the virus, however, is more and more averted by the vaccinations.

Drosten sees research into a “live vaccination” with a weakened virus or a modern variant of it as the “next milestone” in combating the virus: “You would have to put it in your nose and then trigger mucosal immunity.

That would be a much better transmission protection.”

Corona crisis communication: Drosten calls for new quality standards for science

What Drosten criticized in an interview with the Tagesspiegel are the lack of quality control standards for communication between scientists and the public.

"I would like a discussion to be initiated within science about how such standards for science communication can be defined and made binding for scientists," said the virologist.

There are "serious problems" for scientists who falsify data, but not for open misconduct in science communication.

Researchers must publicly “distinguish between unexamined statements of opinion and statements that claim to be based on valid scientific facts”.

(ska with dpa)